Shattered
by sparrowsgurl77
Summary: FINISHED! (woo hoo!) On the night Barbossa marooned Jack and forced him to give up the Black Pearl, he also forced him to give up the woman he loved and their unborn child.
1. Chapter I

Katrina's Sunset  
---- ---- ---- ---- ----  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be, don't sue.  
Summary: On the night Barbossa marooned Jack and forced him to give up  
his ship, he also forced him to give up the woman he loved and their  
child.  
Rating: PG-13  
Genre: Romance/Drama  
  
---- ---- ---- ----  
  
The Pacific  
1768—Eleven Years Ago  
  
Katrina Preston-Sparrow stood at the helm of the Black Pearl, a smile  
forming on her soft, full lips as she noticed the school of dolphins  
jumping up with the waves that lapped up on the sides of the ship. The  
last two years of her life had been like magic; she'd been swept off her  
feet by Captain Jack Sparrow, fell in love with him sooner than she  
thought possible, and now she couldn't wait to tell him she was carrying  
his child.  
  
She had to admit, she did feel a bit uncomfortable being the only woman  
on board a ship of about 30 men, but she found solace knowing that Jack,  
and his first mate Hector Barbossa, would always keep an eye out for her.  
  
"Enjoyin' the sunset, Miss Preston?" she spun around to see Barbossa  
himself standing behind her, grinning at her.  
  
"Mr. Barbossa, you startled me," she admitted, her hand pressed against  
her chest. "And yes, it's beautiful," she smiled and turned around again,  
facing the ocean. She hadn't been staring at the sinking sun for no more  
than ten seconds when she spun around again, facing Barbossa. "Have you  
seen Jack?"  
  
"He's below deck, Miss. Would ye like me to go get him for ye?" Barbossa  
asked, a genuine smile on his face.  
  
"Would you? That's so sweet!" she found herself giving him a small hug.  
"Can you ask him to meet me in our cabin?"  
  
"Of course, milady," he tipped his tri-corner hat to her and turned on  
heel towards the door that led to the basement of the ship. She smiled  
and looked down at herself, her hand rubbing her flat stomach. Soon,  
within a couple of months, her stomach would be full and round.  
  
She turned around a final time, giving one last glance at the sunset  
before walking towards the cabin she shared with Jack.  
  
Katie shut the door behind her gently, feeling her way around the dark  
room over to the desk in the corner. She opened the top drawer and took  
out a hand-carved wooden box filled with matches. She lit the kerosene  
lanterns around the room, illuminating it with a soft, romantic glow. She  
then walked to the average sized window in the center of the back wall,  
staring out at the ocean and the orange-pinkish sky. A small island  
wasn't too far away, the center dotted with hundreds of palm trees and  
other tropical plants.  
  
She was so busy concentrating on the wonderful future ahead of her and  
the beautiful sunset that turned the blue waters of the Pacific into a  
brilliant orange, she didn't hear the cabin door open behind her. But  
when she heard Jack's cries for help out on deck, she spun around to see  
the Bo'Sun and three of Jack's other crew members blocking the exit.  
  
"Katrina!!!!!!! Katie!!!"  
  
"What's going on?! Jack???!!!!!!!!" she cried, trying to push her way out  
past the door, but the Bo'Sun grabbed her by the arms, holding her still  
as she tried to wriggle her way free. But it was to no avail. Two of the  
other men pinned her arms behind her back while the other one tied them  
together with thick, strong rope.  
  
"Ready to watch your 'usband drown, poppet?" One of the men growled into  
her ear as the Bo'Sun pushed her out the door and onto the deck, where  
Katie immediately saw Jack with his hands tied in front of him, standing  
at the end of a long, wooden plank.  
  
"Jack!!" she cried, tears falling freely down her cheeks. He slowly  
turned around so as not to lose his balance and fall off. His face was  
covered in so many expressions; sadness, anger, guilt, it was impossible  
to tell what he was really feeling. She knew exactly what was going on.  
It was one of those things she'd read about in books; something she  
always feared might happen but at the same time thought it never would.  
But she was forced to come to realization as to what was happening: Jack  
was being marooned.  
  
Barbossa stood on deck at the opposite end of the plank, his sword and  
the swords of other pirates crowded around pointed at Jack's throat. But  
all the while Jack's eyes never left the contact of Katie's. She stared  
back at him, her chin trembling as she tried to hold back more tears from  
falling.  
  
"Yes, 'tis a shame to be losing such a brave, Captain now isn't it,  
gents?!" shouted Barbossa over the rest of the crew. "And you, lass, poor  
thing; losin' a husband."  
  
"You spineless bastard!!!" Katie couldn't hold it inside her any longer.  
She tried to lunge forward with intent to attack him, but was held back  
by the Bo'Sun. He slapped her hard across the face, sending her to her  
knees.  
  
"Katrina!" she heard Jack call her name and she glanced up, his eyes  
jutted forward in concern. She was hoisted onto her feet again by the  
Bo'Sun and once again held in place to watch as Barbossa shoved a pistol  
onto Jack's belt.  
  
"You will pay for this," she heard Jack mutter angrily at Barbossa, who  
just grinned back at him evilly.  
  
"Barbossa!" she shouted, tears forming up in her eyes again. "Please.........  
don't do this. Don't take away my baby's father......... I'm begging you,  
please don't do this." Jack stared at her, his eyes wide. Was she really  
pregnant? Or was it just a desperate attempt to save his life?  
  
"Like I said, milady," Barbossa continued wickedly, "'tis a shame to be  
losin' such a brave man." He then turned towards Jack and jutted his  
sword further out so that it was just an inch away from his chest. "I  
s'pose that one final goodbye couldn't hurt......... and then off ye go."  
  
She expected that he would be let off the plank for just a moment, just  
so he could hold her one last time, just so she could give him one final  
kiss before the certainty that she would never see him again. But almost  
immediately she realized her expectations were too high.  
  
"Katie, I......... I love you," his voice was barely a whisper and difficult to  
hear above the chanting of the other men. But the movement of his lips  
was enough to let her know what he was saying.  
  
"That's it then, best of luck to ye Captain Sparrow," Barbossa growled,  
slamming his foot on the end of the plank and causing Jack to fall of the  
edge into the water below.  
  
"Jack!" Katrina let out one final cry, no longer able to control her  
emotions. She burst into tears and felt her body weight collapse under  
her, falling to the floor, her hands still tied behind her back. Her  
entire life was gone within five minutes; Jack, her hopes and dreams,  
their chance to be a family together......... all of it was gone.  
  
"Lock her in the brigs until we can drop her in Tortuga," Katie looked  
up, tears blurring her vision as she saw Barbossa's figure looming above  
her.  
  
"I hate you," she muttered under her breath, glaring at him. "I HATE  
YOU!!!"  
  
"Tis a shame, Miss......... I was really hopin' we could be friends," she felt  
her body being lifted off the ground, and the next thing she knew she was  
being thrown into the dungeon below deck. She backed into a corner and  
looked out the tiny window. She could just see Jack's figure pulling  
itself out of the water and falling onto the shore of the island in  
fatigue.  
  
"Jack......... I love you," she whispered to herself before collapsing onto the  
ground and crying out in emotional distress. 


	2. Chapter II

Chapter Two  
  
Tortuga Tavern  
August 4, 1779  
  
Katrina Preston-Sparrow took a deep breath, blowing a strand of her  
thick, wavy blonde hair out of her eyes as she hunched over one of the  
wooden tables in the Tortuga Tavern, wiping the surface with a damp  
cloth.  
  
"Ye sure ye don't want me to stay, lass??" she glanced up at her two best  
friends, who were ushering a somewhat older gentleman out of the tavern.  
"I think I should stay so we can start the revelation! You want me to  
help with the revelation, don't ye?"  
  
"Of course, Mr. Sorenson!" Mary insisted. "Some other time though......... why  
don't ye go home to Mrs. Sorenson and get a good night sleep and we can  
talk about the revelation tomorrow; what say you to that?"  
  
"Sounds......... sounds like a brilliant plan, doll," he slurred.  
  
"Alright, nighty-night then," Sarah shoved him out the door and locked it  
behind her, pushing her dark brown hair out of her eyes. "I swear to the  
Virgin Mary if I have to endure one more night of that man's babblings, I  
will be forced to drop him off a cliff into Davy Jones' locker!"  
  
"Oh come now, dear, surely you don't mean that," Mary sighed, pulling a  
chair up on top of a table.  
  
"And what was that revelation business he been talkin' about??" Sarah  
asked, her eyes wide with confusion and frustration.  
  
"How should I know," Mary replied. "Katrina, luv, is somethin' botherin'  
ye? Ye've been awfully quiet this evenin'," she said as she hoisted her  
dress up a bit and moved behind the tavern's bar, wiping down the counter  
and brushing away peanut shells and cracker crumbs.  
  
"Oh, I suppose it's nothing," she tossed her cloth in the wastebasket and  
grabbed her jacket off one of the chairs, sliding it onto her shoulders.  
"I think I'm going to head home."  
  
"Long walk, isn't it?" Sarah asked sarcastically. Katie smiled.  
  
"The longest," she replied, turning up the tavern stairs to the small  
flat she and her daughter shared above the bar.  
  
"See you tomorrow, Kat," Mary called after her. Katie pushed open the  
heavy door and stepped inside the room, lighting a lantern in the corner  
giving her just enough light to see where she was going, but not too much  
so as to wake up Annie, her eleven year old daughter, who slept in the  
spongy queen bed in the center of the room.  
  
She quietly slipped on her nightgown and crawled into bed, kissing her  
daughter gently on the forehead. She was about to blow out the lantern on  
the nightstand when she heard Annie stir beside her.  
  
"Mummy?"  
  
"Hi sweetie," she propped herself up on her elbow and stared down at her  
daughter. No doubt she looked more like her father everyday. She had his  
dark eyes, his smile, and his natural sense of direction and adventure.  
  
"I had a dream about dad," she whispered in a tired voice.  
  
"You did?" Katie swallowed hard. Just the reminder of Jack made going on  
everyday that much harder. "What about, luv?"  
  
"I dunno, just stuff," Annie replied. "He was just here. 'Cept......... 'cept  
I didn't know what he looked like. It was like I couldn't see his face or  
nothin'. Mum? How come you never talk about him?"  
  
"Well, I don't......... I don't know, sweetheart, I just miss him is all." She  
whispered. "Why don't you go to sleep?"  
  
"I wanna know about him," Annie protested. "I don't even know his name,  
mom! All I know is that he was a pirate. That's all you've ever told me."  
  
"His name......... his name was Jack Sparrow," Katie started, realizing Annie  
was right. She deserved to know about her daddy. "Before you were born,  
your daddy and I lived on his ship."  
  
"His ship?"  
  
"Yes, luv, he wasn't your average pirate. He was a captain," she told  
her, brushing some hair away from Annie's face. "He owned the biggest and  
prettiest ship in the Caribbean; it was called the Black Pearl. It had  
belonged to your grandfather and when he died, it belonged to your  
father."  
  
"Was he a fearsome pirate, mummy?"  
  
Katie chuckled. "He sure tried to be, darling." She smiled down at her  
daughter as her eyes fluttered open and shut in tiredness. "I'll tell you  
more tomorrow, luv. You have school tomorrow, get some rest."  
  
"No......... I wanna hear more........." Annie tried to protest but was far too  
tired. She succumbed to the ravages of sleep.  
  
--- --- ---  
  
Tortuga Bay  
August 5, 1779  
  
"WHERE IS JACK?!" Gibbs looked up from the dagger he was sharpening to  
see Annamaria come roaring out from below deck, an empty flask hanging in  
her hand. He glanced backwards at Mr. Cotton who stood behind him, also  
watching the furious young woman. The rest of the crew stopped whatever  
they were doing and joined in to watch.  
  
"JACK?!" she boomed, banging on his cabin door. She didn't wait for him  
to invite her in and twisted the knob, pushing against the door with her  
body weight and stepping inside. He was lying on his bed, his eyes  
staring up at the ceiling. He carelessly tossed a coin into the air,  
catching it, and then tossing it again.  
  
"Jack, I want a word with ye!" she growled. "Ye swore ye wouldn't, Jack!  
Ye drank the last of that sweet wine we got in Singapore!" she spat,  
throwing the flask at him. It hit him in the chest and bounced off,  
hitting the floor with a thud. He didn't flinch. "Jack! Jack, are ye  
listening to me?!"  
  
"Annamaria," he sat forward and right away she knew. His eyes were  
bloodshot, red and puffy. The dark charcoal under his eyes was smeared  
like it'd been wet. His skin was paler than usual, and he almost appeared  
to be shaking. She'd never seen him like this before, but she knew why he  
looked the way he did. "For bleedin' Christ's sake, I'll buy ye more  
bloody wine. Now leave me be."  
  
"Jack, I'm sorry," she lowered her voice to a whisper and sat next to him  
on the bed, her hand reaching for his. He didn't say anything, but merely  
stared back up at the ceiling and continued to play with his coin. "If  
I'd've known........."  
  
"Well, ye didn't," he spat. "So don't bother being sorry for yerself."  
  
"Jack, I know ye miss her," Annamaria took a deep breath and tried to  
ignore his hostility. "I know ye love her. I know that. But it's been 11  
years. Ye should try to be happy now, Jack. I know this is going to sound  
harsh, but she's probably moved on. I mean, she did think ye were dead,  
so she probably found someone else. I'm sorry, but ye know I'm right  
about this."  
  
"I know," he took a deep breath, his reality coming easier to him than he  
had expected. "I jus' miss her, is all. 'N I know she's out there in the  
world somewhere. It's just a matter of time 'till I find her." He sat  
forward again, letting the coin hit the wooden floor. "What if she was  
tellin' the truth when she said she was carryin' my child? What if  
somewhere out there she and my kid are strugglin' to make ends meet?  
Huh?? What do I do then?"  
  
"Stop with that rubbish, Jack," Annamaria soothed. "You know Katrina  
better than that, or at least I thought ye did. She's a strong girl, she  
CAN take care of herself and you know it."  
  
"I know that........." Jack squeezed his eyes shut, imagining Will accusing him  
of being the real whelp in his mind. "I just need to know fer sure." He  
flopped back onto the bed, his eyes still shut.  
  
"Well, we're not gonna stop looking, are we?" Annamaria said, a grin  
forming on her face as she squeezed his hand, talking to him almost like  
he was a child. "Now whatdoya say we go ashore and get ye some more rum  
to take yer mind off it?"  
  
Her grin spread when Jack popped an eyelid open, splitting into his most  
charming of all grins. 


	3. Chapter III

Chapter Three  
  
"Now you run off to school now and don't dawdle in the market or else  
you'll be late," Katie was on her knees, fidgeting with Annie's dress as  
she prepared her for school.  
  
"Mother, I'm fine, really!" she insisted, pulling out of her mother's  
grasp.  
  
"I tried tellin' her that, but would she listen, nooooooooooooooooo!"  
Katie glanced over her shoulder at Mary and Sarah, who were bustling  
about the tavern getting ready to open.  
  
"Alright," she sighed, poking Annie's nose. "Have fun today, luv."  
  
"I will!" Annie chimed, running for the door. She was about to open it  
when it opened on its own, a tall man in his late 40s walking in.  
"James!" she shouted, dropping her lunch pail on the ground and jumping  
up into his open arms.  
  
"'Ello, lil' poppet!" he kissed both of her cheeks before setting her on  
the ground again. Katie rolled her eyes at her father, a warm smile  
gracing her face, just thankful that Annie had some sort of male guidance  
in her life. "How's my favorite child??"  
  
"James, I'm the only one you know!" Annie grinned, picking her lunch pail  
off the ground again.  
  
"All the more reason for you to be my favorite then, no?" he poked her  
nose. "Now you run off to school and I'll see you later."  
  
"Okay!" she ran out the door and down the street. James Michaels owned  
the tavern and decided to rent the second story apartment when Katie came  
into town, alone and with child, so she would have a place to stay at  
night.  
  
"Hullo, ladies! How are we all doing on this glorious summer day, hmm?"  
he hung his jacket on a hook next to the door and ventured further into  
his tavern, pecking Katie on the cheek and her two friends as well.  
  
"Well it'd be even nicer if we could have the day off and go spend the  
day at the market in the sunshine," Sarah hinted as she took the last of  
the chairs off the last table and flipped the wooden sign in the window  
so that it read 'OPEN'.  
  
"Nice try, Sarah, don't count on it though," he grinned and pulled out  
several beer glasses, setting them on the counter and waiting for the  
first arrivals of their daily customers to come pouring in.  
  
---- --- ----  
  
"Searchin' for anything in particular, Captain?" Gibbs asked as his eyes  
wandered around the open-air market place. Novelty goods, produce, spiced  
fruits, jewelry, livestock, fish, toys and candies were spread out over a  
row of wooden tables, merchants shouting offers to passerby's as the  
early morning sun slowly rose in the sky.  
  
"Eh, I promised Annamaria, wherever she is, I'd buy her more wine," Jack  
replied, quite uninterested in the whole thing. Almost every town in  
every country he visited always had a little market downtown that was  
always the same.  
  
They stopped at a table offering a variety of candies and bottled  
beverages, both their eyes scanning the assortment of goodies.  
  
A little girl, about 11 or so, ran up beside him, crying out a greeting  
to the vendor. "Hullo, Madeline!" the plump, middle-aged woman spun  
around and smiled to see the girl.  
  
"Why, Miss Anna Pearl! How are you today, dearie?"  
  
"Can't complain, how 'bout yourself?" the girl asked, her eyes staring at  
the candies and her hands picking them up, examining each one carefully.  
"I think I'll buy these today."  
  
"Alright, dearie, that'll be two shillings," the girl dug through her  
lunch pail and handed the woman her shillings. She turned away from the  
table, bumping right into Jack.  
  
"Oh! Sorry sir!" she stared up at him and her mouth dropped. The shock  
almost instantly passed over and soon she was smiling, eyeing his outfit  
up and down in utter amazement. "Oh my goodness......... you're pirates, aren't  
you?!" she gasped.  
  
"Heh........." Jack stalled with his answer, knowing that not all people loved  
pirates the way children did.  
  
"Oh, don't worry about it, gents!" the plump woman smiled. "We serve  
everyone just the same 'ere in Tortuga."  
  
"Well, in that case, he sure is, young missy," Gibbs said, turning to the  
little girl.  
  
"Wow!! I can't wait to tell my mummy! She used to live with pirates, you  
know," the little girl grinned.  
  
"Did she now," Jack grinned and stooped down onto his knee so that he was  
eyelevel with the girl. "Well, I tell ye what Miss Anna Pearl........."  
  
"Annie."  
  
"Alright, I tell ye what, Annie," he cleared his throat. Gibbs just stood  
in awe, shocked that this was the same man. He'd never seen Jack interact  
with a child before and didn't expect it to come so naturally for him.  
"Tomorrow is Saturday, right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"And that means ye won't have school, right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"Well, why don't ye meet me back here tomorrow at the same tame and I can  
teach ye everything I know about bein' a pirate. I could even take ye  
'board my ship. Would ye like that?" he asked, grinning at the child. For  
some odd reason, he didn't really know why, but for some reason he felt  
like giving this child special attention.  
  
"Would you really??" she asked, her face lighting up with excitement.  
  
"If ye promise to keep it our little secret," he told her. "Then ye can  
surprise yer mum with everythin' ye know. Savvy?"  
  
"Savvy!" she chimed. "Thank you, sir!" she ran off, holding her candy  
tight in her hand.  
  
"Cute kid, eh?" Gibbs grinned as he watched the little girl disappear  
into the sea of people grazing amongst the different stands of goods at  
the market. Jack just nodded his head, watching the child he didn't know  
was his own daughter, slink away into the crowd. 


	4. Chapter IV

Chapter Four  
  
Later that day, after Annie had come home from school, Katie looked  
around the produce section of the market, desperately looking for  
something to cook for her daughter that night. She looked around at a  
table with baskets upon baskets of vegetables.  
  
"'Ello Marguerite," she barely glanced up as another woman came over and  
started talking to the vendor.  
  
"Hi Madeline, how are you doing?"  
  
"Have I got some gossip for you!" the woman continued. "I'm sellin' me  
candies this morning when who should walk up and by some spiced wine but  
none other than that Captain Sparrow fella." Katie swallowed and shot her  
head up. She tried to go back to shopping, eavesdropping to their  
conversation to make sure her ears weren't deceiving her.  
  
"Don't be daft, dear, you know as well as I do that that pirate died  
years ago," the other woman replied, not taking her concentration off her  
work as she bagged some vegetables.  
  
"What, you didn't hear?"  
  
"Hear what?"  
  
"Why, dearie, he made it off that island a mere four days after being  
marooned. Apparently something about sea turtles, but that's not  
important." The woman continued. "The important thing is, he got his ship  
back, and now he's back in Tortuga."  
  
Katie swallowed hard again and looked back up at the two women. They  
stared her in the face. "I guess that means he can go back to that  
simpering wife of his," one of them said, glaring at Katie in a way that  
made her stomach curl.  
  
--- --- ---  
  
Katie flew up in bed, sweat dribbling down her forehead, panic setting  
over her. She took several deep breaths, knowing it was all a dream. She  
glanced back down at Annie, who lay sleeping beside her peacefully.  
  
She reluctantly climbed out of bed and lit a candle, giving her just  
enough light to see what she was doing as she walked down the stairs into  
the tavern. Once she was downstairs, she poured herself a stiff drink and  
sat by the fire that was just beginning to die out in the back of the  
room.  
  
A tear rolled down her cheek and splashed onto her knee. Her heart  
pounded with emotion......... all she wanted to do was sink away into nothing.  
She missed Jack with all her heart but at the same time knew she was  
never going to see him alive ever again. All she could keep thinking was  
about why she hadn't moved on; it'd been 11 years, why hadn't she found  
someone else yet? She told herself that all she wanted was a father for  
Annie. And that was true, but she didn't want just any guy who was good  
to them and who had a good income. She wanted Jack. She wanted him to be  
there to be her father.  
  
"Jack, I miss you," she whispered to herself, hoping that wherever he  
was, he could hear her. Her dream told her that it meant something. Was  
there a chance that he had gotten off that island? Could he be alive out  
there somewhere? And if he was, was that somewhere in Tortuga?  
  
She had to know. She scribbled a note for Annie in case she woke up and  
made sure that the doors to the tavern were securely locked before she  
got dressed and left the house.  
  
She walked down the streets, surprised at how cold it was outside. She  
wrapped her coat tighter around her body as a soft breeze blew past her.  
The streets were crowded with people, as they always were at night in  
Tortuga. Drunken men brawled in the streets and hors stood on street  
corners flaunting all that they had to try to get some attention.  
  
--- --- ---  
  
"Jack, ye look sick," Gibbs and Annamaria both stared at Jack as they sat  
at a table in the corner of a noisy pub, tall glasses of ale in front of  
each of them.  
  
"There was somethin' about that kid today........." he bit his lip and took a  
big sip of his drink. "She reminded me of Katie, ye know." His lips  
curled up into a smile.  
  
"Ye've been thinking about her a lot lately, Jack. Care to tell us why?"  
Annamaria cocked her eyebrow and looked at Jack. For a few moments he sat  
in silence before chugging down the rest of his drink and slamming down  
his thick glass. He tossed a couple of shillings down on the table and  
got up.  
  
"I gotta get her off my mind," he muttered at them. Several prostitutes  
stood by the door. He beckoned one of them over and slinked his arm  
around her waist as they walked out of the pub.  
  
"Did he do what I think he jus' did?" Gibbs asked, his forehead wrinkled.  
  
"Typical Jack," Annamaria replied, taking a swig from her own drink. "Get  
one woman off his mind by sleepin' with another one. And he wonders why  
he feels so guilty about not findin' Katie yet."  
  
----- ------- -------  
  
Katie's heart skipped a beat as she practically ran through the streets  
of Tortuga. The moonlight illuminated the bay, making the Pearl's  
presence obvious. Jack was alive. And in Tortuga.  
  
She'd been through every pub, every bar, every restaurant that was still  
open looking for him. He wasn't on the Pearl, that was obvious. The  
lights on the insides of the cabins weren't on and Jack was never one to  
go to bed early. That meant he had to be on the streets of Tortuga.  
Alive.  
  
She was so confused, how did he get off that island? But all she knew was  
that he was alive. And she could have another chance to be with him. They  
could have the chance to have the family that Katie had always dreamed  
of.  
  
She pushed through another crowd of people and came into a courtyard,  
four pubs on either side of her. Her heart was racing, knowing that this  
was it. He had to be in one of these pubs. She spun around, looking at  
each one questioningly, wondering which one to try first. She turned  
around again and her heart dropped.  
  
There he was. He was exactly the way she'd remembered him. His hair, his  
clothes, everything was the same. She wanted nothing more than to run to  
him, kiss him all over and just find the heaven that she had found in his  
arms so long ago. But she couldn't.  
  
He wasn't alone. 


	5. Chapter V

Chapter Five  
  
His face was pressed into another woman's neck, his lips, no doubt,  
kissing her long and slender neck. Her hair was a deep auburn, pinned up.  
One hand was around her waist, the other on her thigh, scrunching up the  
skirt of her dress. He obviously didn't know she was standing there, why  
would he? The poor man probably expected to die on that island and  
probably never expected to see her again.  
  
And it HAD been 11 years.  
  
There was no doubt in Katie's mind that this woman was a prostitute and  
that there was no real relationship between her and Jack; it was all in  
the way she dressed and the intense amount of makeup on her face. Her  
heart still ached with pain like she had been betrayed by him, but at the  
same time couldn't really blame him.  
  
Her chin began to shake and she tried not to break down right then and  
there. She was about to turn into the crowd and try her hardest to forget  
she ever saw him when he pulled his head up, his eyes instantly catching  
her figure in the crowd.  
  
"Katrina........." she could barely hear him say her name over the shouts of  
the crowd, but the way he moved his lips told her exactly what he said.  
His jaw dropped and shock crossed over his face.  
  
She bit her lip to keep from smiling at him, happy he was alive, but at  
the same time distressed to know that they could never have what they  
once had. All she could really do was let the tears start to fall--and  
run. Run away from him, from her, from everything. When she turned around  
and pushed past the group of people, she didn't really know where she was  
going. She was just running. It'd been a mistake; she shouldn't have gone  
looking for him, she just should've let her imagination run wild and  
fantasize about him being alive rather than go looking for him.  
  
She began running towards the beach. Her entire life she'd always found  
solace near the ocean, which she guessed was why she found it so easy to  
transition into life on the Black Pearl when she married Jack.  
  
Whatever her reasonings were, it didn't matter. She reached the beach and  
collapsed into the sand, sobs escaping out of her body. Half of her was  
unbelievably thrilled that the man she loved was alive and presumably  
healthy, the other half this mangled shell of a person knowing that he  
had buried his love for her when she had tried so many times to bury her  
own only to fail.  
  
But there was nothing she could do now. She didn't know what was to  
become of the future, if she ever would see Jack Sparrow again. But the  
glimmer of hope she'd always held onto was gone.  
  
--- --- ---  
  
Jack stood at the edge of the shore, behind a palm tree, watching her  
sitting there. His face was a display of emotion. He had been taught when  
he was young that men never cried, therefore no tears rolled down his  
cheeks. But his face showed how upset he was.  
  
11 years he'd been searching, 11 years he wanted to find her and hold her  
again and she'd been here in Tortuga the whole time. It was almost as if  
a cruel sense of irony had kept them apart. But she was there now, crying  
out in pain with a desperate need to just be loved by someone. He took a  
deep breath, knowing he was that someone.  
  
"Katie," he spoke her name slowly and gently, as if he was afraid she  
would break if he said it the wrong way.  
  
"Please, Jack," she sniffled, refusing to turn around and face him.  
"Please, just go away."  
  
"I thought ye'd be happy to see me," he stood in his place, looking at  
his feet in the sand. I really need new boots.  
  
"I am, but........." she rose onto her feet and dusted the sand out from her  
skirt. "Jack, this is all a little hard to realize. You're here, alive,  
after all this time......... I thought I would never see you again, I didn't  
have a speech planned for you or anything. So please, I just need some  
time to think."  
  
"I'm not going anywhere," he gave her a half-hearted smile and his hand  
touched her arm.  
  
"Then you're gonna be here a long time, Jack," she whispered, still  
refusing to make eye contact with him. She pushed past him and pulled her  
skirt up a bit, making it easier for her to trudge through the sand.  
  
"Katrina, please."  
  
"Please, what?!" suddenly every bit of anger, every resentment, every  
regret that had been building up inside of her for the last 11 years came  
flooding out. "You can't tell me that you JUST got off that island, Jack!  
And you practically LIVE in Tortuga when you're not on the Pearl, how is  
it that you never found us??"  
  
"Us?" Jack gulped. So it was true. Katie's face barely softened as she  
walked back to Jack, her face close to his. She lowered her voice to a  
meek whisper.  
  
"Her name is Anna Pearl Sparrow. She likes to be called Annie. She's 11  
years old and has made it this far without a father and doesn't need you  
to come along and complicate things, she's fine," she told him. "I really  
was pregnant that day when they marooned you, Jack."  
  
Then everything in Jack's mind clicked. The little girl at the market,  
how she reminded him of Katie, there was just something else about her.........  
she was his. She was his only child. Suddenly he felt overwhelmed with  
more emotion as tears began to well up in the corners of his eyes; he  
couldn't help about everything he'd missed: birthdays, her first words,  
her first steps, her entire life he was never there.  
  
"Can I......... Can I see her?"  
  
"I can't keep her from you, Jack. She IS yours." Katie began to walk away  
again, but stopped one more time. "But she IS also mine. And her whole  
life she's been told that her daddy lived with the angels and that she  
wouldn't get to see him until she was done living her own life. Let me  
figure out how I'm gonna explain to her all of this first." She gave him  
a half-smile, still confused but feeling a bit cooled down.  
  
"I never mean to hurt ye, Katrina."  
  
She smiled to herself and brushed a thick clump of hair out of his face.  
Here was the man who she would've given anything to see again, just one  
last time, standing right in front of her and yet the only thing she  
could think of was Annie, how all of this might affect her.  
  
"I know, Jack, I know." She pressed her forehead against his chest and  
felt his arms move up, embracing her body and pulling it into his. "But I  
can't......... not until I talk to her." She pulled away and gently kissed his  
cheek before leaving him standing there, alone on the beach. 


	6. Chapter VI

Chapter Six  
  
Elizabeth Swann's eyes delicately fluttered open, the early morning  
sunlight pouring in through her bedroom window. She rolled over in bed  
and smiled, glancing down at the small but beautiful engagement ring on  
her finger. Since she and Will had been together, they'd moved into the  
Governor's mansion with her father (her father, Governor Swann, refused  
to let his daughter sleep in a tight little house above the blacksmith's  
shop).  
  
Will was gone, already at work presumably. She sat up, ready to get  
dressed for the day when she heard the Commodore's voice in her father's  
office below her bedroom.  
  
Her curiosity sparked and she jumped out of bed, pulling a dress on,  
flying down the stairs and standing outside her father's office,  
eavesdropping intently and wondering what it was that the Commodore could  
possibly want. Another arranged marriage, perhaps?  
  
"Governor, it is my professional opinion that we take charge immediately.  
He's already been out at sea longer than we can afford to have him  
missing and I think it best that we send our troops out at once to bring  
him back into justice."  
  
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. What kind of hoity-toity path of righteousness  
could he possibly searching for now? And could he suck-up any further?  
  
"And I think your final say in this matter Governor Swann is the true  
ticket to bringing this criminal down."  
  
Question answered.  
  
"Well, James......... it does sound like a very promising idea. You are right,  
I don't believe it wise to leave such a man on the loose when under your  
colors, the Royal Navy can bring him down easily."  
  
"Thank you, sir. Shall I prepare the troops at once then?"  
  
"I've noticed that your plans need no revision. Therefore I see no reason  
why we should have any more delay." Elizabeth's heart quickened a little  
bit when she began to realize who they were talking about. It had been  
exactly one month, one month to this day that Jack Sparrow had saved not  
only her life, but Will's life, and escaped from Norrington's clutches in  
a quite heroic, she had to admit, display. Norrington's exact words were  
"I think we can afford to give him ONE day's head start." It'd been a  
little more than a day, true, but that didn't mean his intentions had  
changed.  
  
She had to be sure. She knocked gently on the door before pressing it  
open and stepping in.  
  
"Why, Elizabeth, good to see you finally awake," her father chimed, a  
grin spread across his face. He sat at his desk, a map spread out in  
front of him and the commodore hunched over it, pausing to glance up at  
Elizabeth as she entered the room.  
  
"Good morning, father. Commodore," she nodded her head in his direction.  
"Gentlemen, I couldn't help but overhear on my way downstairs, but who  
might be the criminal you are searching for?"  
  
"Jack Sparrow, Miss Elizabeth," Norrington cleared his throat and rolled  
up the map, tucking it under his arm.  
  
"What?!" she gasped, knowing at once her instinct had been correct.  
"But—but you can't!"  
  
"Elizabeth, darling, I know you are grateful to Mr. Sparrow for what he's  
done for YOU but you must realize that he HAS led a life of piracy and  
must once and for all be brought to justice!"  
  
"Who's justice?!" Elizabeth spat. "Yours?? Or the Commodore's?!? And need  
I remind you he did save my life on several occasions. If it weren't for  
him, I would not be standing here having this conversation with you right  
now and Will certainly wouldn't be my fiancé!" she was almost in tears,  
for she knew how clever the Commodore was and how it wouldn't take him  
long to track down Jack and bring her friend to an untimely death.  
  
"Miss Swann, we are aware of the few good deeds Sparrow has done for us,  
but I agreed to give him one day's head start and it has been well over a  
day. You must understand that he IS a criminal."  
  
"He is NOT a criminal!" Elizabeth shouted. "He's a pirate; there's a  
difference!! And if you are going to hang him because he is a pirate you  
might as well hang me and Will too because our children someday will have  
pirate blood!" she continued.  
  
Her father was about to say something but she interrupted him. "No. I've  
heard enough." She glared at both of them angrily before turning out of  
the room and throwing open the front door, running as fast as she could  
towards town where she would surely find Will at the Blacksmith's shop,  
knowing she had to come up with a plan to warn Jack.  
  
--- --- ---  
  
"Jack, you've had too much to drink," Annamaria drearily said as she  
watched Jack continue on his rantings. She and Gibbs sat on the deck of  
the Black Pearl in the early morning sunshine, listening to Jack as he  
babbled on and on about his encounter the previous night.  
  
"No I 'aven't! She's here, I saw her with me own eyes!" he continued, his  
eyes wide with excitement and his hands flying about as he insisted that  
his story was true. "Ana, she was tellin' the truth when Barbossa and his  
crew of miscreants marooned me. She was pregnant and today we have a  
little girl."  
  
"A girl? I always pictured ye havin' a boy," Annamaria grinned. "How are  
YOU gonna raise a girl, Jack??"  
  
"Gibbs!" Jack dropped to his knees in front of his first mate, his hands  
continuing to make wild gestures as he spoke, as they so often did.  
  
"Aye, captain?" Gibbs reeled back a little bit, a little stunned at  
Jack's sudden eagerness to, well, everything.  
  
"Ye remember the little girl we met in the marketplace yesterday mornin'?  
The one who I actually have to go meet within the hour to teach her how  
to be a pirate??"  
  
"Aye........."  
  
"She's mine! Her name is Anna Pearl Sparrow, and apparently she prefers  
to go by Annie."  
  
"Aye Captain, we learned her name yesterday."  
  
"No! I mean, yes we did, but I learnt it again last night when Katie told  
me." He rose to his feet again. "O'course she did ask me not to approach  
Annie until she had the chance to talk to her......... that means I'll be  
breakin' me first promise to me little girl I've ever made!"  
  
"Oh, Jack, I'll go down there and teach her how to be a pirate if it  
means that bloody much to ye," Annamaria offered. "Where did ye say ye  
were going to meet her?"  
  
"There's a candy stand down in the market run by a plump woman......... right  
there," he told her, a happy grin on his face. Annamaria lightly slapped  
his cheek, pinching it just to annoy him before pulling her hat onto her  
head.  
  
She lowered a small boat into the water, getting ready to go ashore.  
"I'll be back before sunset," she promised as the two men watched her row  
away towards the shore.  
  
---- --- ---- 


	7. Chapter VII

Chapter Seven  
  
"Elizabeth, luv, I don't know what it is we can do," Elizabeth stood in  
front of Will inside the blacksmith's shop. He sat on a wooden chair, his  
hand rubbing his chin.  
  
"We have to do SOMETHING," Elizabeth pouted. "If we just let Norrington  
go after him, Jack will die. Do you not see that?"  
  
"No, I see it," Will told her. "I just don't know where to start."  
  
"Tortuga," Elizabeth said, making it obvious that she had already  
brainstormed some ideas. "I know there's a big chance he won't be there,  
but it's worth a try. And if we can't find him, maybe we'll find someone  
who knows where he is."  
  
"It is worth a try," Will sighed, taking in the seriousness of what would  
happen if they didn't find Jack before Norrington. "But we're gonna need  
a boat and one small enough to be crewed by two people." He noticed the  
solemn look on his fiancée's face, stood up, walked to her and wrapped  
her in his embrace. "It'll be alright, we'll get a boat."  
  
"That's not the problem," she replied, returning his embrace with her  
own. "The problem is finding Jack once we have the boat. He could be  
anywhere and, and........." she sighed and looked up at him. "Will, we owe him  
our lives."  
  
"I know," he delicately kissed her forehead and smiled. "Well, we better  
get to work then."  
  
--- --- ---  
  
"Mummy! Mummy, I'm going to the market!" Annie flew down the stairs and  
ran towards the door, flinging it open and ready for her first pirate  
lesson from the man she met yesterday.  
  
"Whoa, hold up a minute there," Katie wrung her hands off in a towel,  
dropping it on the pub counter. Sarah and Mary bustled about the tavern,  
serving food and drinks to the regular customers. "You're leaving so  
soon?"  
  
"Um......... I'm meeting Victoria at the market and then I'm going to go to her  
house," Annie lied, remembering how she was asked to keep it a secret.  
  
"Alright, be safe darling," Katie bent down and kissed her daughter's  
forehead. "But be back for dinner. I have something I need to talk to you  
about," she gave Annie a final kiss before she ran off, knowing that once  
she told her that her father was alive, she would finally be able to meet  
him.  
  
Annie ran as fast as she could back to the candy stand, her heart racing  
with excitement. But when she finally reached her destination, she was  
surprised to see that the man wasn't there, but in his place a tall,  
slender woman with dark skin. She was wearing a brown skirt that went  
down to her ankles, black lace-up boots, a white blouse and a broad-  
brimmed hat. When she stopped at the table, she stopped and tried to  
catch her breath.  
  
The woman turned around and looked at her, crouching down so that they  
were eyelevel. "You must be Miss Anna Pearl," she smiled at the girl.  
  
Annie nodded. "Can I tell you something?" Annamaria asked. Annie nodded  
again. "My name is Ana, too." Annie's face lit up. Kids are so cute,  
Annamaria thought. "I'm gonna teach you how to be a REAL pirate. Would ye  
like that??"  
  
Annie nodded. "What about—"  
  
"Somethin' of importance came up and he asked me to teach ye instead. I  
hope ye don't mind."  
  
"I don't," Annie grinned and took Annamaria's hand as she was led towards  
Tortuga's blacksmith shop where she would learn her first lesson about  
swordsmanship.  
  
--- --- ---  
  
The sun slowly began to sink in the sky, the ocean's waters turning a  
deep red. Jack stood on the secluded beach on the far side of Tortuga,  
skipping rocks into the ocean waves. He had a messenger send a message to  
Katie, asking her to meet him there, and all he could do was hope that  
she got it.  
  
He had to see her again. The temptation of knowing she was where he was,  
was too hard to resist. And he had to make sure she understood that what  
she saw last night meant nothing to him. He loved her and her only and  
couldn't bear to think that she might think otherwise.  
  
"Hello, Jack," he let the small stones in his hand fall to his feet when  
he heard her soft voice behind him. He turned around and faced her, the  
smile still on his face.  
  
"'Ello, luv," he took a step forward and caressed her cheek, surprised  
when she didn't object. "You came."  
  
"Of course I came," she replied, the faintest of smiles on her lips. "I  
thought something might be wrong. You're not the kind to send a message,  
Jack. Usually if you have something to say, you say it yourself."  
  
"I know ye don't want me to see her yet," Jack reminded her, knowing full  
well that Annie was spending the day learning how to be a pirate (just  
like dear old dad) with Annamaria. "I didn't want to risk it."  
  
"I appreciate the gesture," she replied. She bit her lip as a tear rolled  
down her cheek, still unable to believe that Jack Sparrow, the love of  
her life, was alive. She wanted to believe that Annie would welcome her  
father with open arms, but at the same time knew that it might take her  
awhile to get used to the fact that she actually had a father.  
  
"Ah, luv," his thumb wiped the tear away as more began to fall. "What is  
it?"  
  
"I just can't believe it's really you," she cried, her emotions  
unreadable. He had no idea whether she was crying tears of joy or whether  
all the hurt and pain was coming back to her. And no matter what he did,  
he knew it would only cause her to cry more.  
  
"Don't cry," he pleaded, his hand still resting on her cheek. She pulled  
away and sniffled as she began to cry harder.  
  
"It's been so long, Jack," she sobbed. "All these years I thought you  
were dead and then suddenly out of the blue, here you are! Every night  
after I lost you I would have these dreams about you coming back to me  
only to wake up and realize that you couldn't possibly come back. I  
thought my entire life I would have to raise our daughter by myself. A  
girl needs her daddy, Jack, he's the only one she should always be able  
to depend on! And then there's you and me and what we had—what we had  
Jack was like something out of a fairy tail! And now I feel like we're  
going to have to rebuild all of it when all I really want to do is just  
be with you for the rest of my life and how come you haven't kissed me  
yet?!?!?"  
  
A smirk crossed Jack's face, widening into a smile showing the golden  
teeth that dotted an otherwise white smile. "I thought ye'd never ask,  
luv," he took a step closer to her. Their foreheads touched, his lips  
lingering just inches before hers.  
  
"I didn't ask, Jack........." she sniffled as he wiped away another tear from  
her cheek. She couldn't help but grin when his hand weaved through her  
blonde tresses. "I meant it as more of a request." Before she knew it, he  
was kissing her; the whole world seemed to fade away and it was just the  
two of them, just like it used to be.  
  
They became so wrapped up in each other that neither one of them noticed  
the white sails of the Dauntless coming around the island into Tortuga  
Bay. 


	8. Chapter VIII

Chapter Eight  
  
"We have a problem!" Gibbs announced as he pulled Annamaria onto the deck  
of the Pearl.  
  
"What?" she asked, stretching her legs. "And ye know that little kid has  
to be Jack's, her personality is like a clone of her father's," she added  
with a grin.  
  
"That's just the problem, look," he shoved a telescope at her. Right away  
she could see the Dauntless getting closer and closer to the harbor. "We  
have to find Jack, it's no doubt they've come after him," Gibbs grumbled.  
  
"I'm assuming he's not here."  
  
"No, he went to find his lady friend about half an hour ago and I haven't  
seen nor 'eard from him since," he informed her.  
  
"Alright, here's what we're gonna do," Annamaria said, standing with her  
hands on her hips, "the kid showed me where she lived. We should go there  
and see if anyone knows where her mother and Jack are."  
  
"It's worth a shot," Gibbs sighed. "But there is no chance we are gonna  
get the Pearl outta here before Norrington spots us."  
  
"Well, as angry as this'll make Jack, it's better to lose the Pearl than  
our lives," Annamaria reminded him as they began to round up the crew,  
telling them that they needed to get off the ship before the Dauntless  
reached the harbor.  
  
--- --- ---  
  
Commodore Norrington stood at the front of the Dauntless, a feeling of  
utmost satisfaction settling in. Finally, he would earn credit for the  
capture and killing of Captain Jack Sparrow. He gritted his teeth, hate  
seething through him as he thought of the pirate. If it hadn't been for  
Jack he probably would've earned Elizabeth's hand in marriage and Will  
would be pounding away at his anvil, not in the picture at all.  
  
All he really wanted was to see Sparrow dead, whether it meant bringing  
him to justice or killing him himself.  
  
--- --- ---  
  
"I love ye," Jack whispered when he and Katie finally pulled apart.  
  
"I love you, Jack," Katie replied, burying her face into his chest. His  
chin rested on top of her head. "Jack?" he pulled away and looked at her  
in response. "Would you like to meet your daughter?"  
  
He was about to reply when he heard a familiar voice calling his name.  
"Jack!" he looked up to see Will and Elizabeth, their hands intertwined,  
stepping out of the brush. "Jack, we've been looking everywhere for you!"  
  
"Well that was unexpected," he rubbed his chin as Katie broke away from  
his embrace. Both Will and Elizabeth glanced at Katie, about to ask  
questions but both of them knowing that there wasn't the time. They  
started to shout different things at once, both of them coming off as  
being quite frantic.  
  
Katie glanced at Jack, her eyebrows knotted in confusion. Jack glanced  
back at her, smiled, and then turned towards Will and Elizabeth with the  
smirk still plastered on his face. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the  
future Mr. and Mrs. Turner............ pleasure to be seeing ye again......... so  
soon........."  
  
"Jack! We haven't the time; you have to leave Tortuga immediately!"  
Elizabeth cried.  
  
"Jack, what is going on," Katie grasped onto the fabric of his jacket,  
her gaze switching back and forth between the strangers and Jack.  
  
"I dunno, luv," Jack replied, just as confused as she was. "Whatdoya mean  
I have to leave Tortuga?"  
  
"Commodore Norrington is on his way over here right now," Elizabeth  
continued.  
  
"He's already here," Will spoke up, his face gone pale and his eyes wide.  
Elizabeth gasped and grabbed onto his arm as Jack and Katie spun around  
to see the Dauntless just turning into Tortuga Harbor. "And my prediction  
is he won't be very pleased with us either for stealing that fishing  
vessel to get out here."  
  
"Will, me boy! You stole a ship?? Good for you, lad!" Jack grinned and  
slapped Will on the back.  
  
"Jack!" Katie squealed, tugging on his arm. "Why do you have to leave  
Tortuga?? Who is Commodore Norrington, and who are these people?? What is  
going on?"  
  
Jack looked down at her and recognized the look in her eyes; the look he  
saw for the first time eleven years ago when he was marooned by  
Barbossa's crew and he knew that there was a chance he could lose her all  
over again.  
  
"This is Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann—some friends of mine," he said  
gently, as if he was afraid she would break at any moment. He then turned  
to Will and Elizabeth, his hand placed on the small of Katie's back.  
"This is Katrina Preston......... my wife."  
  
"Your wife?" Will asked. Although he wasn't surprised—Jack having a wife  
somewhere, especially in Tortuga, didn't shock him.  
  
"Luv, the Commodore isn't exactly the friendliest of men—specially  
towards pirates such as meself, savvy? About a month a go, I was supposed  
to be hung in Port Royal, but thanks to Mr. Turner, my neck was saved.  
Now, me guess is that Norrington got a bit antsy knowing that I got away  
from him—again—so he decided it be best to come after me and, well, ye  
know........."  
  
"Oh dear........." Katie sighed and her hand rubbed her forehead. "We should  
get back to the tavern—we can figure out something there." 


	9. Chapter IX

Chapter Nine  
  
"So let me get this straight........." Sarah, Mary and James stood in front of  
the tavern's bar counter, a group of about ten or so claiming that they  
were Jack Sparrow's crew—Katie's husband and Annie's father. Annie stood  
at the foot of the stairs, pouting because she was told not to interrupt  
while the adults had a conversation.  
  
"You want us to tell you where Katie is so you can find your captain and  
warn him about an evil commodore who's come to Tortuga to bring him back  
to Port Royal and hang him??" Mary asked in disbelief.  
  
"Exactly, lass, so if ye wouldn't mind tellin' us—" Gibbs was about to  
continue when the door of the tavern burst open and in stepped Katie with  
three people neither of her friends had seen before. Her hand was  
intertwined with a strange man—presumably Jack Sparrow—and behind them  
was another young couple.  
  
"Jack! Where've ye been, we've been looking everywhere for ye!" Annamaria  
cried.  
  
"I know, I know," Jack took a deep breath. "Everybody's favorite  
Commodore has bounded into town with a little warrant for my arrest and  
ye've all come here to warn me so I can get out of Tortuga." His crew  
just stared at him, confused.  
  
"It's a long story, but we kind of got to him first," Will explained.  
  
"Oh," Gibbs nodded. "Well, with all due respect Capt'n, you're very much  
screwed—the Dauntless is already in the harbor and there is no way we can  
get the Pearl out of here without them catching ye."  
  
"And we can't leave on the fishing boat—they'll be looking for that too,"  
Elizabeth added.  
  
"James, what about your boat, can they borrow it so they can get away??"  
Katie asked in desperation, a worried look on her face.  
  
"I don't see why not," James said, rubbing his chin. He, Sarah and Mary  
were all still thoroughly confused, but decided it was best not to ask  
questions and just went along with it.  
  
"Mummy, what's happening?" everyone for the first time looked over at the  
little girl standing at the foot of the stairs. Judging by the look on  
her face, she was utterly terrified and just as confused as everyone else  
was.  
  
"Oh, Annie......... come here, luvie," Katie got onto her knees and Annie ran  
to her mother, into her hug. "Everything will be alright, sweetie," she  
whispered. When her daughter pulled away, she glanced over her shoulder  
at Jack, who stood there with a sort of pained look on his face. "Annie,  
sweetheart, I have someone I'd like you to meet."  
  
Without further introduction, Jack knelt beside Katie so that he was eye-  
level with Annie, who obviously didn't make the connection that he was  
the same man she had met in the market a day prior.  
  
"'Ello, cutie," he grinned at her. "Do you know who I am?" the whole room  
was silent, everyone watching a father and a daughter's first meeting.  
  
Annie nodded. "You're Captain Jack Sparrow," she paused for a moment, a  
look of curiosity crossing her face. Her nose wrinkled. "Are you REALLY  
my daddy?" All eyes were on Jack, waiting for his response; but the only  
thing he could look at was Annie.  
  
"Yes, luv, I'm really your daddy," he gently poked her nose and she burst  
into a grin, her eyes suddenly full of hope.  
  
"I knew you would come someday!" she practically shouted as she lunged  
towards him, her arms thrusting around his neck. He almost toppled over,  
a bit surprised that something so little could give off so much force,  
but then smiled, remembering she was HIS daughter.  
  
The moment was interrupted however when loud shouting from down the  
street broke the silence. Gibbs quickly walked to the window and looked  
out, coming back with a solemn look on his face. "Capt'n, it's them!"  
  
"Bloody 'ell," Jack muttered.  
  
"Jack, you have to leave!" Katie practically pleaded as he rose to his  
feet again. Annie clung onto his hand, like if she let go he'd disappear.  
  
"No, I'm not leaving you!" he practically growled.  
  
"Jack!" Katie cried again, trying not to cry in front of her daughter.  
"You have to."  
  
"Then you're coming with me," he said as Annie's grasp grew only tighter.  
  
"Jack, don't be daft!" Annamaria told him. "Ye know as well as I do that  
if they go with you, you'll only risk them as well as yourself."  
  
"Well, wait," James spoke up. "How many people do we need to keep out of  
sight of the Commodore?"  
  
"The only people Norrington'll recognize are meself, Jack, Will and  
Elizabeth," Gibbs replied. "Why?"  
  
"In the basement, there are five empty wine barrels—they should be just  
big enough to fit a grown man," James continued. "There are FOUR of you,  
I'd say that's just enough."  
  
--- --- ---  
  
Norrington practically growled to himself, furious that he'd been through  
every tavern, every pub, every restaurant and every whore house (every  
place he could search without a warrant) and still, no sign of Sparrow.  
The moon was high in the sky, the hour nearing midnight. He and a small  
group of his men finally came to the last pub, a place where Sparrow had  
to be hidden.  
  
"Alright sailors, in here!" he ordered, his head beginning to ache. The  
three sailors and Lieutenant accompanying him stepped inside the pub  
before he entered.  
  
The pub was medium sized—smoky and quiet. A group of five sat at a round  
table in the center of the room, cigars hanging out of three of the men's  
mouths while one man and a woman sat not smoking anything. They all had  
cards in their hands, obviously playing poker or some other card game.  
  
Several other men sat around the tavern in different places, a few at the  
bar and a few others at some tables. A couple of waitresses moved about  
setting drinks down for the customers, another waitress and a man who  
appeared to be in his later 40s stood behind the bar, pouring yet more  
drinks. A little girl, maybe 10 or 11, sat on the floor playing with her  
toys.  
  
"Good evenin', gents!" the blonde woman behind the bar stepped out and  
smiled at them, wiping her hands on her apron. "What can I get for you  
fine gentlemen this evenin'?" Norrington took in a deep breath and rolled  
his eyes, knowing that this was their last shot at finding Sparrow.  
  
"Actually, ma'am, we're here on official business from the colony of Port  
Royal," Lieutenant Gillette pulled out a thin piece of parchment paper  
from his coat, unrolled it and showed it to the woman. "This is the order  
from Governor Weatherby Swann granting us permission to search this  
establishment."  
  
"Oh, dear!" the woman's hand flew up to her mouth. "If you don't mind me  
asking, what are you hoping to find?"  
  
"A criminal, miss," the Lieutenant continued. "Jack Sparrow to be  
specific."  
  
"Jack Sparrow??" Mary lifted her head from across the room and walked  
over, joining the group. "I thought he died on an island years ago, did  
he not?"  
  
"Afraid not, ma'am," the Lieutenant tipped his hat and smiled. "Mind if  
we have a look around?"  
  
"By all means, please!" Katie stepped aside and tried to look stunned.  
"Anything to try and find such a scoundrel." 


	10. Chapter X

Chapter Ten  
  
Elizabeth's heart pounded as she heard the door to the basement open. She  
squeezed her eyes shut and tried to hold her breath as she dared not move  
inside the cramped wine barrel. She heard someone moved across the room  
and knew it was someone with the Royal Navy.  
  
Please don't find me, please don't find any of us, she thought to  
herself, afraid to open her eyes. She breathed slowly and quietly,  
praying she wouldn't be seen nor heard. She opened her eyes slowly and  
looked out through a tiny sliver of a crack in the barrel. She saw  
him—Norrington—across the room, looking around.  
  
Almost as if he could hear her thoughts, he turned around slowly, looking  
in her direction. No......... no, please! She squeezed her eyes shut again  
and held her breath once more as his footsteps got closer and closer  
towards her. Suddenly the footsteps stopped and sounded as if he was  
moving away. She started breathing again and peered out the crack of the  
barrel: nothing. She moved slowly upwards and pushed the top off the  
barrel.  
  
He was there, waiting for her. She gasped and knew she had made a  
mistake—one that would probably not only cost her own life, but Will's,  
Jack's and Mr. Gibbs' as well.  
  
The Commodore stood there, grinning down at her almost wickedly. "Hello,  
Miss Swann."  
  
---- ---- ----  
  
"I'm sure he'll be up in a moment, ma'am," the Lieutenant told Katie as  
she stood upstairs, no idea that they had all been caught.  
  
"Lieutenant!" Suddenly there was a call from the Commodore downstairs in  
the basement, and Katie's hear began to pound. A million different  
thoughts began to race through her mind as she wondered whether or not  
Jack had been found. The Lieutenant motioned for the few soldiers with  
him to follow him downstairs, and soon they disappeared.  
  
"Oh no," she took a deep breath and tried to hold back tears as Annie got  
onto her feet and ran over to her mother, grasping onto her skirt.  
  
"Remember what Jack said, gents," Annamaria said quietly, a solemn look  
on her face. "Keep to code. Always keep to the code."  
  
"Upstairs, Sparrow!" she heard one of the soldiers say angrily, and  
within a matter of moments Katie saw Jack, cuffed in irons with a baronet  
pointed at his back. She couldn't believe he was being taken away from  
her again—this just couldn't be happening.  
  
Jack didn't even look up, he just stared at the ground emotionlessly, for  
this time he knew there would be no escape. And he would have to say  
goodbye to his daughter and once again become nothing but a picture in  
her mind.  
  
Katie stared at the Commodore angrily through the tears in her eyes,  
wondering why Gibbs, Will and Elizabeth weren't in shackles.  
  
"We've found what we've been looking for," Norrington said, a rather  
triumphant look on his face. He looked around at the people in the bar,  
and continued to grin. "Sorry to trouble you," with that he began to move  
towards the door, grabbing Jack's arm and leading him away.  
  
"No!" Katie shouted, unable to let go of Jack again. "If you're taking  
him, you have to take me too!"  
  
Norrington sighed. "No, we have no warrant for your arrest, only that of  
Mr. Sparrow."  
  
"Katrina," she looked over at Jack, staring at her, his face cold.  
"Don't."  
  
"Jack, how can you say that?" she asked almost breathlessly. "I can't  
stand to lose you again, Jack," she walked to him and put her hands on  
his chest and to her surprise, Norrington didn't stop her. Jack leaned  
forward so that his forehead touched Katie's, wanting to touch her face  
one more time but his hands were shackled behind his back.  
  
"You'll be fine," Jack told her, almost defiantly. "But ye can't keep  
dwelling on this, Katrina. You have to be happy, for Annie's sake. Don't  
do anything stupid just on account of me—take care of Annie, she needs  
her mother." She thought he was going to say something else until  
Norrington interrupted them.  
  
"Alright, Sparrow. It's time to go," he said quietly, kicking the door  
open with his boot and pushing Jack outside. Neither the Lieutenant nor  
the soldiers said anything as the silently followed the Commodore.  
  
All these things began to flash through Katie's mind.  
  
She saw Jack fifteen years ago—a young man of 19 and she a girl barely of  
17. That was before he told her of his dream to become a pirate like his  
father, to take over the Pearl someday after his father's death. He was  
different then, not just in personality but also in appearance.  
  
Jack then at 19 was easily one of the most, if not the most, attractive  
men Katie had ever seen. He took her breath away without even flashing a  
grin in her direction. She was the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner  
on the English coast. Everyday she would watch the ships coming in and  
out of the harbor and pray that her future held something more than just  
the pretty debutant that her parents had planned for her.  
  
The beginning of June, a few months after her 17th birthday, was the very  
first time she ever saw the Black Pearl. It's tattered, black sails  
mesmerized her and she could only imagine what kind of life she could  
have aboard such a vessel. It was early the next morning when she caught  
Jack TRYING to steel several apples from the orchard. She had half a mind  
to turn him in, but her attraction stopped her.  
  
His hair was fairly short, stopping just below his ears. His eyes were  
not lined in kohl, as they were now. But they still had the same spark.  
His face was shaved smooth and the tattoo of his name on his wrist was  
brand new.  
  
When she announced to her parents about her love for Jack, they were less  
than thrilled. Her mother fainted, her father ranted—saying that if she  
actually went through with it, she would no longer be considered their  
daughter. Needless to say, from that moment on, she thought of herself as  
an orphan. She married Jack the next week and set sail with him and his  
father aboard the Pearl. Upon her leaving, she earned the love and  
support from her Aunt and her Uncle, who were less fortunate than her  
parents, and her cousin.  
  
Within the year, his father died and the Pearl was turned into Jack's  
hands. The rest was history.  
  
"Jack," it was all Katie could whisper. She could feel Annie grasp onto  
her skirt from behind, surprising herself that she didn't die then and  
there from the pain. It was easy to assume she had become numb or immune  
to it after all these years. So she stood there and let go. 


	11. Chapter XI

Chapter Eleven  
  
"I cannot believe you!" Mary stood in the doorway and watched Sarah as  
she followed Katie around her flat. Katie frantically moved about the  
room throwing clothes and other possessions into her suitcase. Annie  
stood motionless by the window, clutching Maribelle, her favorite doll,  
in her hands.  
  
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you," Katie replied dully as she shoved a  
hat inside the suitcase.  
  
"This isn't like you, Kat! You're not the type of girl who just GIVES up!  
You have to go after Jack, you still have a shot at saving him!" Sarah  
protested.  
  
"Are you insane?!" Katie shouted as she spun around. "What shot do I, ONE  
woman, have at going up against the Royal Navy?! And by the time I even  
GET to Port Royal, Jack will already be dead. Annamaria and Jack's  
friends left—the Pearl is gone—I don't even have a way to GET there let  
alone save Jack once I do."  
  
"You LOVE him!" Sarah shouted back. "How can you just sit back and let  
him die?! And what about Annie, she needs her daddy!"  
  
Katie was too tired to fight back the tears—she just let them fall down  
her cheeks. She glanced over at Annie, who wasn't even paying attention  
to what was going on. She just stared out the window and pulled Maribelle  
closer to her.  
  
"Annie and I have made it 11 years without Jack just fine. We can live  
the rest of our lives without him," she said, even though inside she had  
no idea how she was gonna live to see tomorrow knowing she was letting  
Jack go once and for all. "And he was right. I can't do anything stupid  
and allow our daughter to lose BOTH her parents."  
  
"Is that what you think?" Sarah asked. "That Jack is always right??  
You've made decisions for yourself for the past 11 years without his  
influence, I think you can make another one."  
  
"Sarah, this IS my decision. I just can't keep doing this anymore." Sarah  
stared back at Katie blankly.  
  
"You're wrong," she whispered before turning out the door and walking  
away. Katie took a deep breath and swallowed as she watched her friend  
leave. Mary stepped further into the room, a gentle smile on her face.  
  
"You have to admit, Kat, she has a point," Mary said.  
  
"I know. I know she does," Katie clutched the blouse in her hands so  
tight her knuckles turned white. She shook her head, shaking it free of  
thought and turned back to the suitcase, throwing it in before buckling  
it shut. "But he really was right, Mary. I can't risk Annie losing both  
her parents. It's not fair to her."  
  
"That it's not," Mary nodded in agreement. "I know you're only doing  
what's right for both of you, but I wish I didn't mean you were leaving,"  
she whispered as she pulled Katie into a hug.  
  
"Hey now," Katie replied back as she pulled away. "No tears, remember?  
You promised."  
  
"I never could keep a promise," Mary said as she forced a smile onto her  
face. She lugged the heavy suitcase off the bed. "Come on. I'll walk you  
and Annie down to the docs to make sure you get off alright."  
  
--- --- ---  
  
A sulking Sarah stood next to Mary and James as they all said their final  
goodbyes to Annie and Katie. The large passenger vessel awaited to take  
them off to England, where Katie would go to her Aunt and her Uncle for  
support.  
  
"Don't stay a stranger!" Sarah immediately burst into tears when her turn  
came as she wrapped her arms around Katie. "You have to write us everyday  
to tell us how things are going and if you ever need anything you can  
always come back," she promised.  
  
"I know," Katie gently kissed Sarah on the cheek, unable to cry one more  
tear. "No more tears, luv," she gave her hand a squeeze and picked up the  
suitcase. She took Annie's hand in her own and walked away towards the  
ship without looking back.  
  
--- --- ---  
  
The voyage to England was going to take them four weeks. After watching  
other passengers die of sea sicknesses and after fearing she or Annie  
would get sick themselves, they finally crossed the British passage near  
on the beautiful American coast; the newly settled colonies dotting the  
shores. Maribelle made the voyage as well—true, she was more tattered and  
worn than before, but still Annie's favorite doll.  
  
As the ship got closer and closer to docking for supplies, Katie sat on a  
bench on deck as everyone else crowded around the railings. The suitcase  
lay open at her feet and a wooden, hand carved box sat on her lap. It was  
filled of remnants from Jack—her wedding ring and engagement ring, a lock  
of his hair she had taken once when he was sleeping, a key on a chain  
that he said he found on the beach shortly after meeting her, and  
countless love letters straight from him.  
  
Her Jack. 


	12. Chapter XII

Chapter Twelve  
  
Governor Swann stood at his office window. It had been a smile crossing  
his face when he saw the carriage pull up outside the house. He knew it  
would be Elizabeth and Will, back from their little gallivant after Jack  
Sparrow. He was just glad that they were both back safe.  
  
He opened the front door and held his arms out, ready to hug his daughter  
in welcoming, but she just stared at him angrily with tears in her eyes,  
ran past him and up the stairs. The door slammed from upstairs and  
moments later Will got out of the carriage and walked to the front door,  
standing beside his future father-in-law.  
  
"Goodness gracious, what ails Elizabeth?" the Governor asked as he heard  
her sob.  
  
"They caught Jack," Will replied quietly before he quickly went after  
Elizabeth.  
  
--- --- --- ---  
  
The governor sat as his desk, leaned back in his chair with his hands  
clasped together. He just had a visit by Commodore Norrington. Norrington  
told him that with his signature, Sparrow would be hung the very next day  
at noon. Now he sat there, the parchment sitting on his desk in front of  
him, ready to be signed.  
  
But somehow, even though he knew that Sparrow WAS a "criminal", he  
couldn't seem to let himself sign that paper.  
  
There was a loud crash from upstairs. He bolted forward in his seat when  
he heard Elizabeth's angry rantings, knowing how upsetting this was to  
her. He knew that she considered Jack to be one of her best friends, she  
was eternally grateful to him for saving her life the way he did and for  
saving Will's. He knew how happy Will made his daughter and that if it  
were not for Jack, they wouldn't be together, and Elizabeth's happiness  
would forever be lost for she would be engaged to Commodore Norrington.  
  
"I hate him!" he heard Elizabeth cry loudly. "I hate both of them, this  
isn't fair!" she sobbed loudly. He felt horrible inside knowing it was  
after all his fault she was so upset. He could barely hear Will's muffled  
response. But he didn't need to. He had made his decision.  
  
--- --- --- ---  
  
"Get up, Sparrow," Jack popped an eye open and propped himself up on his  
elbows to see a guard, one he had no particular liking towards, standing  
at the bars in front of his cell. "I said get up!" Jack rolled his eyes  
and exhaled deeply as he slowly rose to his feet.  
  
"The Governor would like a word with you," another guard, standing in  
front of his cell, announced.  
  
"It's not like he's bloody royalty," Jack muttered under his breath, and  
he had half a mind to bow sarcastically as one of the guard's motioned  
for the Governor to come over.  
  
"A moment, please," the governor asked politely as the two guards bowed  
(not sarcastically) and walked away.  
  
"Bloody Christ," Jack couldn't hold it in; he shook his head at how  
ridiculous he thought they were being. Never in his life would be bow for  
anyone, not with meaning anyways; one of the many valuable lessons his  
father taught him.  
  
"To what do I owe this honor?" he sarcastically remarked after calming  
his humor in the matter.  
  
"I would like to have a word with you."  
  
"So I've heard."  
  
"My daughter is very upset right now," the governor told him, sitting on  
a bench across from the cell.  
  
"At least ye still get to see her," Jack muttered as he moved over to the  
window, not feeling particularly inclined to have a conversation with  
this man. He stared out the window, the blue ocean waters stretching out  
for miles. "My daughter probably thinks I'm dead."  
  
"I wasn't aware that you had a daughter," the governor replied, almost as  
if he was taking an interest. "What, may I ask, is her name?"  
  
"Anna. Anna Pearl. Though she'd much rather just go by Annie."  
  
"Elizabeth's mother used to call her 'Beth'," the governor said. "But  
after her mother died, she asked to be called Elizabeth."  
  
"Can see why," Jack tiredly replied. "Did you actually have something to  
tell me, or are you just here to chat, because I'm not in the mood to  
talk."  
  
"Oh, yes," he rose to his feet and walked to the bars. "The Commodore has  
it set in his mind that you will be hung tomorrow at noon. But I've  
decided not to sign the release." Jack's eyebrows rose and he looked at  
the Governor suspiciously.  
  
".........why not??"  
  
"Like I said, my daughter is very upset that you're in here. In fact, I  
don't recall the last time she was this upset." He put his hands behind  
his back and began to pace in front of the cell. "I don't like to see my  
daughter upset, Mr. Sparrow. So, I've decided to grant you clemency."  
  
Jack's eyes widened and a smirk spread on his face. "Really?"  
  
"I believe that under these circumstances it's the wisest decision, yes,"  
he continued. "And, after learning of your own daughter, it really is for  
the best. Besides, I thought you'd be interested to know that I've  
decided to retire Mr. Norrington's position as Commodore of Port Royal."  
  
"Really??" Jack's eyes continued to widen, his smirk getting bigger.  
Norrington sacked, clemency, and the thought that he would get to see  
Annie grow up—it was like Christmas.  
  
"I've come to realize I don't trust some of the choices he has made under  
his position as Commodore and I think Lieutenant Gillette would do a  
better job."  
  
"Damn straight," Jack said, pretending to agree.  
  
"I thought you'd think so," he nodded. "Mr. Young!" he motioned to one of  
the guard's. "Let Mr. Sparrow out of his cell please, and um, do tell  
Commodore Norrington I would like to have a word with him at his earliest  
convenience."  
  
--- --- --- --- 


	13. Chapter XIII

Chapter Thirteen  
  
Jack took a deep breath, unable to wipe the smirk from his face as he  
stepped out of the Port Royal jail house and into the sunshine. His smirk  
changed into a full blown smile when he saw the Commodore walking towards  
him, his eyes bulging with anger.  
  
"Well HELLO Mr. Commodore sir," he curtseyed sarcastically, so happy he  
was practically crying.  
  
"Sparrow! What are you doing out of your cell?!" Norrington barked, veins  
popping out all over his neck and forehead.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, this must be KILLIN' ye, mate," Jack crossed his arms,  
swaying back and forth on his tippy-toes. "You might want to watch that,  
chap," he poked a vein in Norrington's neck, only to have his hand  
swatted away. "Only looking out for your well being."  
  
Norrington glared and pulled a pair of cuffs from off the prison wall,  
ready to put them on Jack's hands. "I wouldn't be doin' that, mate.  
Wouldn't want to upset my new friend the governor, now would we?"  
  
"I beg your pardon," Norrington spat.  
  
"By the way, he's been wantin' a word with you," Jack smacked him on the  
back and walked away, watching Norrington as he watched him waltz off.  
"My prediction is you will not be a happy chappie when he gets through  
with you," he said under his breath.  
  
His grin only grew bigger when he saw the Pearl floating in the waters of  
the harbor. "I knew it," he said to himself. "I knew it!!" he threw his  
hands up and practically waltzed towards the docs, feeling as though he  
was floating on air. He stopped at the edge of the doc, his eyes  
squinting in the sunshine.  
  
"Ye know........." he spun around when he heard Annamaria's voice. "That bloody  
code is gonna put the nail in your coffin someday, Jack Sparrow." He was  
about to correct her when she put her hand up. "CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow."  
  
She smiled at him and moved forward, wrapping him in a hug. "Why did ye  
come back?" Jack asked.  
  
"Don't look at me, it was Cotton's idea!" she said, her hand flying up.  
Jack wrinkled his nose, wondering if they were thinking about the same  
Cotton—the man with no tongue, but decided not to argue. "We decided that  
there was still a high chance we could save ye. But ye seem to have  
yerself covered."  
  
"Don't ask," he shook his head. "We have to get back to Tortuga."  
  
"I know, we're going there to get ye yer little girl," she slapped his  
back and pointed out to the rowboat with one of the crew members rowing  
towards them.  
  
--- --- --- ---  
  
"Elizabeth?" Elizabeth looked over her shoulder from her bed as she heard  
her father outside her door. Will sat on the window seat, looking at  
Elizabeth from across the room.  
  
"Go away!" Elizabeth called back. "I don't want to talk to you!" Will  
sighed and rolled his eyes, then looked away out the window. The first  
thing that caught his eye was the tattered black sails of the Pearl,  
slowly turning its direction and even more slowly starting to leave the  
harbor.  
  
"Elizabeth," Elizabeth drearily looked up. "Look," she rose off the bed  
and stared out the window beside Will. Her jaw dropped and she  
practically ran to the door, flinging it open.  
  
"Jack?" she asked, looking at her father.  
  
"Clemency," he simply replied. She grinned and threw her arms around his  
neck, giggling excitedly. "And I thought you'd like to know that Mr.  
Norrington is no longer in power. It's Commodore Gillette now."  
  
"Really??" Will asked, suddenly taking an interest. "Well, that's a long  
awaited change."  
  
--- --- --- ---  
  
Norrington stood just outside the Governor's mansion, anger seething  
through his veins.  
  
The Governor had told him that he no longer trusted his judgment, but he  
didn't really know what he had done in particular that made his judgment  
seem untrustworthy. He also told him that he didn't see why Sparrow  
couldn't be pardoned—after all, he did save his daughter's life.  
  
He also learned from the Governor that Sparrow had a daughter and a wife.  
And all Norrington could think was: WHO WOULD MARRY SUCH A PATHETIC WASTE  
OF SPACE???  
  
The breeze pushed the palm tree fawns out of the way and he caught  
glimpse of the Black Pearl turning just out of the harbor; just out of  
sight. He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, wanting nothing more  
than to just shoot the man square in the chest; or maybe in the head.  
Anything that would get the job done.  
  
Sparrow had cost him a lot. First, his arrival in town gave him the short  
lived dignity of capturing him—only to make him look like a fool when he  
escaped shortly thereafter.  
  
Then, after a lovely little gallivant after Sparrow and a crew of pirates  
halfway across the ocean, his dignity was restored at capturing Sparrow  
AGAIN. Only for him to escape AGAIN—but this time, the stupid blacksmith  
stood in the way, helped Sparrow escape and Elizabeth took their side.  
  
And now, after losing the girl and whatever dignity he had left, Sparrow  
cost him to lose his job. Now he would have no respect in Port Royal  
amongst the citizens and would probably end up with a mediocre job in one  
of the town shops or restaurants. Heaven forbid, if push came to shove,  
he might end up having to move to a dirty, low-down place like Tortuga to  
be able to afford......... living.  
  
His life was falling apart because of Jack Sparrow.  
  
And he would pay him back. 


	14. Chapter IXV

Chapter Fourteen  
  
"Look at him," Annamaria sighed as Gibbs stepped up next to her at the  
wheel of the Pearl. Jack stood several feet away at the railing of the  
ship, grinning stupidly and tossing bits of bread off the side for a  
flock of seagulls that was following them.  
  
"Well, ye gotta imagine he's happy," Gibbs replied, staring at the  
captain. "He probably thought that this really was the end; never get to  
see Katrina or Annie again, and after just gettin' the bloody Pearl back,  
to lose it again? And now, it's all back AND he's considered a free man."  
  
"Gibbs, he's a pirate, of course he's a free man."  
  
"Clemency—ye know what I mean," Gibbs said, swatting his hand at her.  
  
"Free of charges, aye. I bet he never thought he'd be hearin' those  
words, specially from a figure of such high authority," she agreed. "But  
still, he's so bloody happy, it's almost frightening. I've known Jack for  
six years now and never has he been this happy."  
  
"Ye should've seen him when he met the girl; Bootstrap and 'is dad said  
he was practically giddy."  
  
--- --- --- ---  
  
The Preston Plantation (off the English Coast)  
June 3, 1766—Just after sunrise  
  
Jack quietly crept across his cabin aboard his father's ship, the Black  
Pearl. He weaved around the creaky floorboards, knowing if he stepped on  
one, he would wake his father who was sleeping in the cabin below his.  
The ties on his boots were laced around his fingers, hanging down at his  
side and brushing against his hip as he walked.  
  
He twisted the doorknob and slowly pulled the door open, stepping out  
onto the deck in his bare feet. He turned around slowly without looking  
up to shut the door behind him. The door creaked loudly and Jack winced,  
his finger flying up to his lips.  
  
"Shhhhhhh!" he hissed loudly, as if the door could actually hear him. He  
glared at it before turning away. He walked with his eyes on the ground,  
not looking where he was going, and bumped directly into the chest of  
someone. His eyes slowly turned up and a grin quickly crossed and left  
his face as he saw "Bootstrap" Bill Turner, his father's close friend,  
right in front of him.  
  
"Mornin' sir," Jack gulped, flashing him a false grin again.  
  
"Jack, I don't want to sound like yer overbearin' mother or nothin', but  
just exactly where do ye think yer goin'?"  
  
"Just, um........." Jack gulped. "Just for an innocent lil' walk in the  
market."  
  
"Well," Bill crossed his arms and tried not to look too cross, "if it's  
such an innocent lil' walk, why ye be sneakin' about the way ye are,  
hmmmm?" Jack gulped again, knowing his father didn't want him leaving the  
Pearl without permission, which Jack hated; he felt he should be allowed  
to come and go as he pleased. "Plus, its Sunday—the market aint open  
today on account of it bein' God's day and whatnot."  
  
"To church then!" Jack flashed another grin, showing off his one golden  
tooth on the bottom row of his smile.  
  
"Jack, it's a Christian church," Bill called as Jack pushed past him, not  
moving an inch as his eyebrow went up. "You're Catholic. And ye haven't  
been to church not once in yer life before."  
  
"That's just the problem with me, don't ye think??" Jack asked, spinning  
around as he tossed his boots into a small boat he would use to take him  
ashore, "I woke up this mornin' thinkin' that I didn't have enough  
religious......... guidance......... in me life, so, what better place to nab some  
than church, eh?"  
  
"Ye know what yer father said," Bill sighed. "But somehow I imagine that  
isn't gonna stop ye, is it Jack?"  
  
An ear-to-ear grin spread out on Jack's face. "Nope." He stepped into the  
boat and began lowering it into the water. Bill just let him go, shaking  
his head and knowing there was nothing he could do or say that might  
change Jack's mind. He watched his boat until it hit the shore, Jack  
dragging it up and putting it in the shade of a palm tree as he laced his  
boots on.  
  
"Jack??" Bill turned around as he heard Edward Sparrow—Jack's  
father—stepping out on deck.  
  
"Mornin' Eddie," Bill chimed, a sarcastic grin on his face. Edward  
stepped up beside Bill, watching Jack up on shore. He shook his head and  
sighed, putting his hands on his hips.  
  
"I thought I 'eard him leavin'," Edward sighed again. "What am I gonna do  
with him........."  
  
"Ye could send him off to live with Patricia," Bill suggested, speaking  
of his wife back home.  
  
"Are ye kiddin' me? He would probably eat poor Patricia and that baby of  
yers out of house and home, not to mention drive her absolutely crazy,"  
Edward replied, shaking his head.  
  
"Nah," Bill said, shaking his head as well. "Patricia's always been fond  
o' Jack."  
  
"At least someone is," Edward replied with a slight chuckle. "That boy is  
all I have left—all I have left of his mother. If anythin' were to ever  
happen to him, I don't know what I'd do with meself."  
  
"Become a priest," Bill lamely suggested, leaning against the railing and  
continuing to watch Jack as he got onto his feet and disappeared into the  
small cliff-side town. "Where do ye reckon he's goin' this early in the  
mornin', Eddie?"  
  
"I don't know," Edward shook his head. "But he's gonna be hungry soon." 


	15. Chapter XV

Chapter Fifteen  
  
June 3, 1766—Later that Morning  
  
Jack yawned and stretched as he came to the end of the street in the one-  
street town. A low and uncomfortable growl rumbled through his stomach.  
"That's not good," he thought aloud, looking behind him and noticing that  
all the cafés (all TWO of them) were closed.  
  
He grinned, the reminding thought that he was in fact a pirate seeping  
into his mind. He looked up the hill in front of him to see a sprawling  
plantation—complete with barn and several fruit orchards, including a  
small vineyard—just beckoning him over.  
  
--- --- --- ---  
  
Katie Preston, seventeen years old, stood at her window, staring out in  
memorization at the rather large ship (a pirate ship, no doubt, thanks to  
the Jolly Roger flying high on it's mast) docked out in the Greenfield's  
harbor. Her eyes practically danced on the ship's tattered black sails, a  
small smile finding its way onto her face.  
  
She was the only one awake that early in the morning, as she was the  
first one up every morning. She always loved to watch the sunrise,  
imagining how much more beautiful it could be out on the ocean. She  
imagined about the life of a pirate—how free and exciting it must be, all  
the different people you would meet, the beautiful and exotic places you  
could see.  
  
She felt her cat brush up against her legs, breaking her gaze from the  
window. "Come here, Maurice," she said in a throaty, tired voice, picking  
up the cat and cradling him in her arms. "I have to go to church today,"  
she complained as she sat on the window seat, the cat still curled into  
her arms. Her entire life she'd been taught about religion and faith,  
what to believe in, what not to believe in. But she always wanted to  
believe something different than what she had been told.  
  
She didn't believe in sin and thought that everyone was born the way they  
were for a reason. She believed in equality and didn't really understand  
what was so bad about pirates. She shrugged, knowing she had never really  
had an encounter with one and therefore shouldn't be talking, but at the  
same time thought that there were a lot of misconceptions about pirates.  
  
Katie was a true romanticist at heart. She believed that there was one  
person out there for everyone, she believed in love at first sight and  
believed in soul mates. "Someday........." she sighed. "Someday, he'll find me,  
Maurice." Her hand stroked his soft fur, unknowing that that someday was  
today.  
  
She turned her head out the window, looking down at the apple orchards  
below. Her eyes immediately stuck on a young man sitting on the thick  
branch of a tree, his foot dangling down and an apple in his hand. Her  
eyes narrowed into slits. There were a lot of things Katie could  
tolerate, but steeling from her father was not one of them.  
  
"Maurice," she sighed as she set the cat down on the ground. "You know I  
love you, but there are times that I wish you were a guard dog." The cat  
just purred and rolled onto its back in the sunshine splashing through  
the window.  
  
Katie moved across the room and pulled a jacket over her dress, quietly  
making her way out of the house and towards the orchard. She found the  
young man exactly where she saw him last in her window.  
  
--- ---- ---  
  
"Excuse me!" Jack popped his eyes opened and swallowed his apple, looking  
down at a spry, young woman standing below with her arms crossed. "Is  
there something I can do for you?"  
  
Katie tapped her foot impatiently. The young man dropped from the tree,  
landing perfectly on his feet in front of her.  
  
"Actually, I was just leavin', Miss," he waved his hands in little  
circles, waiting for her to give him his name, but she continued to tap  
her foot and blew out an angry breath of air. He was no doubt a pirate  
judging by how he was dressed, and no matter how much Katie wanted to be  
short with him, she found the immediate attraction she felt to be a bit  
much.  
  
"Katrina," she said quietly, swallowing and avoiding his eye contact. He  
flashed her a charming grin that made her stomach flop. "May I ask  
what......... why you thought it appropriate to steal from my father's trees?"  
  
"Borrowing, actually," he replied, the grin still on his face. "If it  
makes ye feel better, I'll get ye another apple to replace the one I  
ate." They stood there, their eyes locked in a gaze until he spoke up.  
"Well, Miss Katrina, I best be on my way."  
  
No.......... don't leave......... "Are you a pirate?" she asked, the words the only  
ones she found leaving her lips. He laughed and turned around, a grin  
spread on his face. "I just meant—because there's that ship in the  
harbor—and well, you look—I don't mean you look different, I just—"  
  
"Yes," he said simply, clamping her hand between his so she would stop  
embarrassing herself. She stared, eyes wide, at his hands on her own.  
"It'll be our secret."  
  
"Okay," she replied, her eyes still staring at his hands. She finally  
looked up and he winked at her before swaying away. "Wait!" she called  
after him, still not wanting him to leave quite yet. He turned around,  
raising his eyebrows and waiting for her to say something. "Are you going  
back to your ship?"  
  
"S'not mine, luv," he called. "Belongs to me dad."  
  
"Well, are you going back?"  
  
"Aye......... best to be outta the streets before the people of this town come  
along and start accusing me for breathing," he told her, his brown eyes  
catching the sun's rays and glistening with flecks of gold.  
  
"Oh," she nodded and looked at her feet, her hands going behind her back.  
He smiled at her, knowing what she really wanted. He walked back to her  
and took her hand again.  
  
"Would ye like to meet the captain? See the ship?"  
  
"Oh!" she gasped, trying to hide her excitement. "Well......... I mean, I don't  
want to be a burden to anyone, I just—yes. Yes, that would be lovely."  
  
"Lovely," he repeated, and for a moment they stood together, just staring  
at each other's eyes. Her deep, dark chocolate colored eyes stared into  
his gold flecked milk chocolate eyes. Then, they walked in silence, hand  
in hand, back towards the direction of the beach. 


	16. Chapter XVI

Chapter Sixteen  
  
1766—Later that Night  
  
The day had been beautiful—full of excitement, meeting pirates who, to  
Katie's surprise, were all lovely people. They treated her with respect  
and she learned that they really were no different than anyone else. They  
had families that they cared about, lovers and parents, pets and friends,  
just like your average person.  
  
She came to learn that the young man's name was Jack Sparrow, the son of  
legendary pirate Edward Sparrow, captain of the Black Pearl. He showed  
her around the ship, taught her everything he could within the course of  
a day, and told her stories of his life growing up on the ocean. She  
learned that his mother died when he was three, during the birth of his  
little sister, who also died within the year. Her day with Jack caused  
her to forget about her responsibilities—she forgot about going to  
church, milking the cows in the barn, giving her older brother of two  
years and younger sister, also of two years, haircuts.  
  
Now, with the moon and the stars high in the sky, she and Jack slowly  
walked back towards the plantation. Knowing she would be punished for  
skipping out on her responsibilities for the day, Jack helped her climb a  
tall oak tree outside her bedroom window so she could climb in that way.  
  
She opened her window from the outside and climbed in, only to turn  
around and lean against the window seat to thank Jack, who was sitting on  
the roof outside her room, for the wonderful day he had given her.  
  
"When was the last time ye let yerself go like that?" he asked her before  
she could say anything.  
  
"Oh," she sighed, contemplating her answer. "Too long."  
  
"Aye, that's what I was thinkin'," he replied, a smirk forming on his  
lips. His hand rose up, the back of it delicately touching her cheek.  
"Goodnight, luv, sweet dreams."  
  
"Jack," she whispered as he began to turn away. "Thank you. Today was  
amazing."  
  
"I wouldn't be inclined to disagree," he replied, the grin never leaving  
his face.  
  
"When can I see you again?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Tomorrow night," he told her, glad she asked. "I surmise yer parents  
would not be enthusiastic about yer meetings with a pirate. It'd probably  
be best if we make our meetings from now on at night when they think yer  
sleepin'."  
  
"True," she nodded in agreement. "Alright, tomorrow night then."  
  
"Tomorrow night it'is." Again, they sat there, staring at each other,  
both with a hunger to kiss the other. Finally, he couldn't defy his want  
any longer. He placed his hand on her face, his fingers weaving through  
her golden ringlets. Their faces lingered for a few more moments in front  
of each other before they caved, and their lips touched.  
  
He added his tongue, would've gone further and she would've let him had  
the voice of her younger sister, Virginia, from down the hall not pulled  
them apart.  
  
"You have to go!" Katie loudly whispered, her fingers brushing his cheek.  
  
"Thought so!" he whispered back, quickly pecking her lips. But she didn't  
want him to go. She put her hand behind his neck and kissed him back,  
wanting so badly for him to stay. But when there was a knock, this time  
her brother, Daniel's voice prying them apart.  
  
"Okay, now you REALLY have to go," she told him. She kissed her fingertip  
and quickly pressed it against his lips. "Don't forget about me  
tomorrow."  
  
"Couldn't if I tried," he smirked as he gripped onto the edge of the roof  
and slowly lowered himself downwards, dropping onto his feet.  
  
"Katie??" Daniel's voice sounded again.  
  
"Come in, Danny," she called, gazing out the window as she watched Jack's  
figure run across the plantation's lawn, the bright moonlight  
illuminating his every feature. Her eyes smiled down on him, and as if he  
felt her presence, he turned around and stopped. He saw her illuminated  
figure staring down, smiling at him, and he couldn't help but smile back.  
  
"I'm gonna marry that girl," he whispered to himself before turning away,  
running back to the beach as if he had wings on his feet.  
  
The door pushed open and Katie looked over to see her two siblings enter  
the room. "Katie! Where have you been??" Virginia gasped as she entered  
the room. "Mum and dad are NOT very happy right now, you've been missing  
all day!"  
  
"The farmhand saw you leave this morning with some strange man," Danny  
lowered his voice as he got closer to his sister.  
  
"He did?" Katie asked, dread rising up in her voice. She knew she  
couldn't tell her parents about Jack—they would surely have him and the  
rest of the crew arrested for piracy and then she would see him hang. She  
couldn't let that happen when they had all been so kind to her, and  
Jack......... she'd never met anyone like him before. She couldn't lose that,  
it wasn't fair.  
  
"KATRINA EMILY PRESTON!!!!" she heard her father's raging voice from  
downstairs and knew she was in trouble.  
  
--- --- --- ---  
  
"ALL DAY, KATRINA!" Katie sat on the loveseat downstairs in the parlor,  
her father pacing back and forth in front of her, her mother sitting in  
an arm chair across the room sewing, and her siblings listening from  
upstairs.  
  
"Who is he?!" he roared, absolutely furious.  
  
"He—" Katie didn't know what to say, how she should respond.  
  
"You missed church today, Katrina," her mother calmly said from across  
the room.  
  
"AND you were seen leaving the house! WITH A STRANGER!" he continued to  
rant.  
  
"Matthew, please calm down," her mother pleaded.  
  
"Genevieve, please, I'm TRYING to handle this," he muttered back. He did,  
however, calm down a bit. "Well, Katrina. What do you have to say for  
yourself? Are you going to tell us who he is?"  
  
"His name is Jack Sparrow!" she shouted, flying to her feet. She was so  
angry, knowing her parents wouldn't understand at all. "He's Edward  
Sparrow's son and I love him!" tears began to sting at her eyes. "And I  
don't care what you say, I'm going to continue seeing him and there's  
nothing you can do about it!"  
  
"Edward Sparrow??" her mother asked timidly as she rose to her feet. "The  
pirate?" her eyes rolled back and she fainted onto a heap in the ground.  
  
"Get out of my house," her father said quietly. "You are no longer my  
daughter."  
  
"FINE!" Katie screamed back through tears.  
  
Within the hour, she had packed a bag of small belongings, knowing she  
would have to ask one of the late night fishermen [I don't know if there  
is such a thing—probably not—so go with me here, people] to take her out  
to the Pearl. She knew she could count on Jack. She gave a letter to her  
sister for her Aunt Beatrice and Uncle Fred, people she was always close  
to, and telling them about everything that had happened. She also knew  
that if she ever needed to, she could count on their support.  
  
--- --- --- --- 


	17. Chapter XVII

Chapter Seventeen  
  
"Wow. Dramatic," Annamaria sighed, still watching Jack as he grinned  
stupidly at the birds flying along side of the ship as it cut through the  
water on it's way to Tortuga.  
  
"S'wat Katie told Jack. S'wat Jack told his father, his father told  
Bootstrap, Bootstrap told me." Gibbs replied. "Well, before he died  
anyway."  
  
"Well I can imagine it would be quite difficult to communicate with the  
dead!" Annamaria replied, rolling her eyes. "Capt'n!"  
  
Jack spun around, facing her.  
  
"We're almost to Tortuga!"  
  
--- --- --- ---  
  
"Do you think they'll like me, mummy?" Annie asked, squeezing her  
mother's hand as they set their luggage down on the front doorstep of her  
great Aunt Beatrice and great Uncle Fred's house.  
  
"They will be CRAZY about you, sweet-pea," Katie assured her, trying not  
to think about Jack. But his face refused to evaporate from her mind. She  
took a deep breath and knocked lightly on the door, waiting for someone  
to answer.  
  
"Hold on a minute!" she heard Aunt Bea call from inside, her accent thick  
and merry. Suddenly, the door opened and she was standing there, wiping  
her hands on her apron. She gasped at the sight of her long lost niece, a  
smile soon going onto her face. "Katrina Emily! It's been so long!"  
  
Katie smiled and hugged the woman, kissing her cheek and glad to see her.  
"Katie, Katie, Katie......... what brings ye back, luvie?"  
  
"A few things," Katie replied, not really knowing the best way to  
respond. Aunt Bea smiled warmly at her before looking down and seeing  
Annie.  
  
"My goodness," she pressed her hand to her chest. "Is this little one  
yours, Katie?"  
  
"Yes. Aunt Beatrice, this is Annie. Say hello, sweetie."  
  
"Hi," Annie said shyly, swaying back and forth gently.  
  
"She IS adorable. Katie, she has your nose!" Aunt Bea crouched down onto  
her knees and held out her arms, waiting for Annie to hug her. She  
finally did, making Aunt Bea smile even wider. "It is a pleasure to meet  
you, dearie." She stood up so she was level with Katie again. "Dear,  
dear, where's Jack?"  
  
Katie's smile faded. She knew he would be brought into conversation  
sooner or later. "He, um........." she glanced down at her daughter, a tear  
trickling down her cheek, seeing so much of Jack in Annie's face. "He,  
um........." she tried again.  
  
"Oh no. Another girl?" Aunt Bea asked sympathetically.  
  
"No," Katie drew in a sharp breath as more tears started to fall. "No, he  
um........."  
  
"Left?"  
  
"No, he's uh........."  
  
"Oh," Aunt Beatrice said quietly. "Oh, baby doll, I'm so sorry! Please,  
here, come inside where it's nice and warm." She ushered Katie and Annie  
into the house. "Fred! FRED! Come downstairs and see who just got home!!"  
  
--- --- --- ---  
  
"What do ye mean 'she's gone'??" Jack asked, a mild panic in his voice as  
he stood in the tavern. Annamaria and Gibbs stood behind him, the rest of  
the crew back on the ship to keep it safe. The tavern was a quiet hub of  
activity that evening. Mary and Sarah stood in front of Jack, trying to  
explain what had happened.  
  
"She left, Jack," Mary said quietly. "She and Annie left for Greenfield  
several days ago."  
  
"Good god," Jack moaned, realizing he still had several days before he  
could see Katrina and their daughter.  
  
"Jack, you have to go find her!" Sarah stepped forward and took his  
hands, squeezing them tightly. "She NEEDS you, Jack! She needs you so  
badly, she was a nervous wreck when they left! And poor Annie, she's just  
more confused than ever. First you're not here, then you are here, then  
you're not again—what's she supposed to think?"  
  
"Then Greenfield is where we will go!" Jack proposed, spinning around and  
facing Annamaria and Gibbs. "Come on now! Hop to it, let's get movin'!"  
He quickly ushered them out the door, following them.  
  
Within seconds, he reappeared and pecked both ladies on the cheek. "Thank  
ye kindly!" he called over his shoulder as he disappeared again.  
  
"Oh! Mary, they're going to be so happy!" Sarah squealed as a tear of joy  
rolled down her cheek.  
  
"You're such a sap," Mary muttered under her breath as she turned and  
went back to serving drinks. 


	18. Chapter XVIII

Chapter Eighteen  
  
Two days later, after Katie had gotten settled in with her aunt and uncle  
and notified her siblings that she was back in town, she was still trying  
to adjust to her new life. The previous night she'd had a dream about  
Jack. He'd come back to her. She woke up in a sweat and deemed it a  
torturous nightmare—something that teased her because she knew for sure  
this time it would never ever happen.  
  
Aunt Bea told her about her parents: the both got sick during an epidemic  
and died. It was harsh news and only deepened Katie's pain, despite their  
disowning of her. The house was willed to Daniel, who was now married and  
had children of his own.  
  
Now, she sat at the kitchen table with Uncle Fred as Aunt Bea and a grown  
up Virginia and her daughter, Constance, baked cookies with Annie. She  
smiled, trying to be happy about the other life she had missed so much.  
Maybe things would work out for her here. Maybe she could finally move on  
with her life.  
  
"Mummy, look!" she looked up and instantly saw Jack's smile, his eyes,  
reflected in her own daughter. That's when she knew the truth. There  
would be no moving on.  
  
"Yes, sweetie. I see," Katie replied quietly as she tried to go back to  
reading. There was a knock against the front door and Katie slid up from  
her chair, going to answer it. "I'll get it," she announced.  
  
"Oh, thank you, dear," her Uncle Fred replied as he slowly sat back down.  
  
She came to the front door and pulled it open, seeing someone she never  
expected to see; Commodore Norrington, the man who took Jack away from  
her for a second, heart-wrenching time.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked angrily as she stepped outside,  
gently shutting the door behind her so as not to disturb her family. "How  
did you find me here?"  
  
"Nice to see you too, Miss Preston," he replied, a cocky smirk on his  
face.  
  
"It's Mrs. Sparrow." She corrected him. "How did you fine me?" she  
repeated again.  
  
"There's a record of residency at my access in the Port Royal library,"  
he told her. "It gives me the information of every member under the Royal  
Crown. Your family is recorded." He told her. "Although, I must say, I  
went through seventeen other Preston families before finding you."  
  
"How fun," she spat. "Well, if you don't mind, I have things to do today.  
And I'd say it was nice seeing you, but we both know that's a big lie."  
  
"Don't be so harsh, pet," he told her, his mouth turning up in a cruel  
grin. "I came here because I have news about your husband. He's alive and  
has been granted clemency on the governor of Port Royal's command."  
  
"He—he has?" Katie asked, her hand going up to her chest.  
  
"Yes. He has," he replied acrimoniously. "But I'm afraid he isn't well."  
  
"Where is he?"  
  
"Well, ma'am, if you wouldn't mind coming with me, I'd be happy to show  
you." She nodded and put her hand on the doorknob, twisting it open and  
stepping inside briefly. She quickly went into the kitchen.  
  
"Aunt Bea, I'm gonna go for a walk."  
  
"Okay, dearie," Bea chimed, rubbing some cookie dough off her face with  
the back of her wrist.  
  
"Who was at the door, luvie?" Uncle Fred asked, looking up from his book.  
  
"Salesman," Katie lied. "I told him we were uninterested."  
  
"That's my girl," Uncle Fred chuckled. Katie kissed her Uncle and Aunt  
before going to Annie.  
  
"Stay here, darling," she kissed the top of her head before walking back  
towards the door and outside to where Norrington was still waiting.  
  
"Alright?"  
  
"Alright," she cleared her throat and followed him as he led her down the  
street—away from the rest of town. They continued down an alleyway and up  
to the door of an old house with broken windows. The place looked pretty  
much abandoned. But he pushed the door open nonetheless and stepped  
inside. Cobwebs were everywhere. Dust gathered on the walls and window  
panes (the ones that weren't broken, anyways), and the fireplace was dark  
and daunting.  
  
The light of a single candle illuminated from another room off the main  
room. Katie turned to the Commodore and he nodded.  
  
"He's right in there, Mrs. Sparrow."  
  
She swallowed and walked slowly to the door, pushing it open and stepping  
inside. The dim light from the candles and the fact that there were no  
windows made it difficult to see, but despite this, Katie could see a  
figure lying in a twin bed across the room, and she knew it was Jack. His  
back was turned to her and he wasn't moving.  
  
"Jack," she said his name slowly and gently. "Jack?" he didn't respond.  
She walked to the bed and leaned down next to him, placing her hand on  
what she thought was his shoulder. Her hand pushed into something  
squishy. She flew the covers back and saw that it was a pillow; pillows  
spread out to look like a person. She spun around just to see the heavy  
wooden door slam behind her with a bang.  
  
"No!" she screamed, knowing at once he had tricked her. She banged on the  
door and screamed cries of help, hoping someone would have heard her.  
  
"Scream all you want, Mrs. Sparrow. No one can hear you but me."  
  
"Why are you doing this?!" she shouted as tears began to fall. Her entire  
life for the last 11 years seemed to be nothing but sadness, angriness,  
angst, heartache and tears. Maybe it would be better this way. He could  
have his way with her, kill her and the pain would stop.  
  
"Why?!" he shouted back, for the first time making her realize how bitter  
he really was. "Because your husband deserves nothing but pain, Mrs.  
Sparrow! He deserves to live through something that might kill him inside  
and that means watching you DIE."  
  
"My husband is dead! You killed him!"  
  
"Think again, Mrs. Sparrow!" he shouted back through the door. "What I  
said earlier about the governor of Port Royal granting him clemency  
wasn't a lie! He's probably on his way to find you right now!"  
  
"Leave him alone, please! He didn't do anything to directly hurt YOU!"  
  
"I believe you don't know that, Mrs. Sparrow."  
  
"Please, just leave us alone!" she begged again.  
  
"I'm afraid I can't do that—it's too late now, you've already seen too  
much. Now all I have to do is get that brat of yours and kill you both  
with him watching."  
  
"No!" Katie screamed, pounding on the door. "Don't hurt Annie, please!"  
  
"I wish I couldn't," he replied solemnly. "But it must be done." She  
heard his boots against the floorboards, the door opened and he stepped  
out.  
  
"NO!" whenever push came to shove, Katie had always put Annie's best  
interest first. She'd always done whatever she could to protect her  
daughter, whether or not it meant something good for her benefit. And now  
she couldn't even do that much. 


	19. Chapter IXX

Chapter Nineteen  
  
The day was slowly winding down in Port Royal. Elizabeth stood at the  
fort, watching the sun sink slowly in the sky. She sighed at the beauty  
of the pink and orange sky, smiling about how everything was finally just  
as it should be.  
  
"Hello, luv," she felt Will's strong hands wrap around her midsection and  
she smiled, her eyes closing as she welcomed his embrace.  
  
"Hello," she whispered back as his lips pressed against her neck.  
  
"Elizabeth, there's something I need to tell you. I have bad news."  
  
"What is it?" she spun around, facing him.  
  
"Norrington has gone missing. There's a fishing vessel that's gone  
missing, and a lot of his clothing is gone as well. His mother came  
forward and said that he's gone to go find Jack's wife and get Jack to  
her hometown so he could, as I heard it, punish them both."  
  
"What?" Elizabeth asked in confusion. "This can't be happening. Will........."  
  
"I know," he hugged her and held her in his embrace. "Your father has  
agreed to let us go aboard the Dauntless on the pursuit to find him."  
  
"He has?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Will, he's a very angry man," Elizabeth said, stating the obvious. "And  
he's capable of so much. What if he tries to kill their daughter? I  
wouldn't hold him to it."  
  
"Well, we're going to try to stop him before that happens," he told her,  
praying that Norrington hadn't caused any damage yet.  
  
----- ----- -----  
  
"I don't see why we had to bring them along," Gibbs muttered at Jack, who  
stood at the wheel and steered the Black Pearl closer towards the  
Greenfield Harbor.  
  
"They wanted to come, I couldn't say no," he rolled his eyes and sighed,  
feeling Gibbs' pain. Mary and Sarah bounded around the deck, following  
around different crew members and getting on everyone's nerves. Through  
their quirks however, Jack found them to be quite useful members of his  
crew. They'd also told him quite a bit about Katie and Annie, exactly  
what he's missed out on.  
  
"Aye, ye could've!!" Gibbs objected.  
  
"Lookit," Jack said sternly. "If it weren't for them, we wouldn't even  
know where to begin to try to find my family. So they're coming. End of  
story."  
  
"Sorry, Capt'n," Gibbs apologized, knowing something was bothering him.  
"Can I ask what's been ailing ye?"  
  
"Somethin's not right. I can feel it," he said as he looked up at the  
ominous, gray clouds looming above.  
  
"Yer probably just anxious to see yer wife and kid, that's all."  
  
"No," Jack objected. "It's more'n that."  
  
"I wouldn't worry about it, Capt'n." Gibbs replied. Jack took in a deep  
breath and clenched his teeth.  
  
"Prepare the crew to anchor," he said slowly, briefly shutting his eyes.  
  
"Aye, Capt'n," Gibbs nodded and walked back down to the main deck. "LOWER  
THE ANCHOR!"  
  
Jack winced. Something wasn't right. He turned around and looked behind  
him, spotting the sails of the Dauntless several yards off. Once the ship  
anchored, the crew's attention also turned to the Dauntless as it slowly  
came to a stop beside the Pearl.  
  
"William Turner!" Jack bellowed, spotting Will beside the Captain of the  
Dauntless. "That's the second time ye've showed up unexpectedly, do ye  
mind tellin' me what in the bloody hell is goin' on?"  
  
"Jack!" Will called back, and he spotted Elizabeth coming up behind him.  
  
"Jack, thank god we found you!" Elizabeth cried from the other ship as  
its crew members, including the new commodore, bustled about to prepare  
it for a full stop.  
  
"I'm waiting........." Jack took in a sharp breath and tapped his foot  
impatiently.  
  
"Meet us ashore!" Will called as Commodore Gillette started to shout  
orders. Jack rolled his eyes and groaned again as Gibbs came to him,  
telling him that the boat was ready to take him to the beach.  
  
----- ----- -------  
  
Jack waited impatiently as the row boats filled with soldiers from the  
Royal Navy. He contemplated several times just leaving them there and  
going to find Katrina and Annie on his own, but the bad feelings in his  
stomach continued to grow and he knew that the arrival of the Dauntless  
(second fastest ship in the Caribbean) had something to do with it.  
  
"ABOUT BLOODY TIME!!!" he bellowed when the boat with Will in it reached  
the shore. "Where's bloody Elizabeth?" he growled impatiently when Will  
and about five or so other soldiers stepped onto the sand.  
  
"Pouting in her cabin, I imagine," Will said with a smirk. "Her father  
not the Commodore thought it safe for her to go ashore."  
  
"Aye, true statement, now ye mind tellin' me what's goin' on?" Jack  
asked.  
  
"Jack, Norrington is here. Somewhere."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So, he wants to see you dead......... and your wife and daughter as well."  
Jack's face dropped in trepidation, color vanishing from his cheeks.  
  
"I knew somethin' wasn't right," clenched his teeth together. As soon as  
the boat with the new Commodore and the other boats with the rest of the  
soldiers hit the shore, Commodore Gillette began to shout orders to them.  
  
Groups of six started going off to where he ordered them to, and when he  
was done he was left with Jack, Will and several of Jack's crew members,  
including Gibbs, Annamaria, Mary and Sarah.  
  
"Look wherever you feel necessary," he told them, a look of utmost  
empathy on his face. Jack just wrinkled his nose as he walked off.  
  
"What's up with him, mate?" he asked, turning to Will.  
  
"A lot of people don't know this," Will started as the group began  
walking, "but before he came to Port Royal, back when he lived in  
England, his son and daughter were both taken by the Cholera epidemic.  
His wife was so upset, she killed herself."  
  
"Poor chap," Jack clicked his tongue. "Alright mates, ye see that  
massive, over-sized plantation up on the hill there?"  
  
"Aye," Annamaria said, speaking for the group.  
  
"That's where she lives. Head up and see if she's there," he instructed.  
Will started to walk off with them when Jack clamped his hand down on his  
shoulder. "I want you with me." 


	20. Chapter XX

Chapter Twenty  
  
"Jack, how do we even know where to start?" Will asked, his eyes not  
leaving Jack's face as he tried to keep up with his fast walking pace  
through the streets of Greenfield.  
  
"We don't," Jack replied simply. "Will me boy, there comes a time when  
you have to trust yer instinct." He stopped suddenly and threw his arm  
out; it struck Will in the chest and stopped him in his tracks.  
  
"Instinct?"  
  
"Yep." They stood in silence for a few moments, and Will looked around,  
realizing they were on the outermost outskirts of town. The only sounds  
were the distant shouts from soldiers as they looked through different  
pubs and shops that were still open and private residencies.  
  
"I don't hear anything, Jack."  
  
"Shhhhhhh!" Jack turned his head and took a step to the side into an  
alley way. "Did you hear that??"  
  
Will sighed. "No." Jack barely waved his fingers, motioning for Will to  
come closer.  
  
"Listen," he whispered. "There! HA! Did ye hear that, mate??"  
  
"No, Jack, I didn't hear anything," Will replied dully.  
  
"Shut yer trap," Jack hushed him again, turning his head to the left and  
cocking it to the side. Then Will heard it. It sounded like a low, pained  
moan or cry, muffled behind something. "There, did ye hear that??"  
  
"I heard it," Will nodded and looked around as both of them began to  
creep forward. "Jack, look!" Several yards away there was a shack, broken  
windows and a front door barely hanging on by one hinge. The two  
exchanged glances without exchanging words and progressed forward.  
  
They both quietly entered the first room, as if they were afraid that  
something would jump out at them.  
  
"Ello?" Jack called after determining it was safe. There was the sound of  
something scraping against floorboards in another room where the door was  
shut.  
  
"Jack!" he heard Katie's scared and broken voice as there was a bang  
against the door.  
  
"Katie??" he walked to the door and put his hand on the knob, twisting it  
only to discover it was locked. "Katie!"  
  
"Jack, please, you have to get me out of here, we have to get to Annie!"  
Katie pleaded from the other side.  
  
"Where is she?!"  
  
"At my Aunt and Uncle's house—but he said he was going for her—wait...  
Jack, how are you—UHG! We don't have time for this!" she cried. "Jack,  
he's trying to kill Annie!"  
  
"Alright, alright, stand away from the door, luv," Jack cautioned. He  
motioned for Will to help him, and together they both ran at the door,  
busting it from its weak hinges. Katie immediately flew to Jack and threw  
her arms around his neck, smothering his face in kisses.  
  
"I thought you were dead!"  
  
"I'll explain later, luv," he quickly kissed her neck. "Where do yer Aunt  
and Uncle live?"  
  
--- --- --- ---  
  
"Alright, alright, hold on a bloody second," Uncle Fred muttered to  
himself, scratching his belly as he yawned and moved towards the front  
door. Beatrice stood at the top of the stairs, concern in her eyes.  
"Yes?" five men and another man, seeming of high stature, stood at the  
door.  
  
"Inside gents," the high official said, and with a quick gesture of his  
head, they poured inside.  
  
"What is the meaning of this??" Fred asked, confused.  
  
"Sir, pardon the intrusion, I am Commodore Nicholas Gillette from the  
colony of Port Royal," the man said. "We have a fugitive on the loose  
here in your town and we're just doing a house to house search."  
  
"Excuse me, ma'am," Beatrice turned around to see one of the soldiers  
behind her. "Did you have someone sleeping in this bedroom on the left?"  
  
"Yes, my—my niece's daughter, Annie," Beatrice clutched her nightgown  
around her body. "Why?"  
  
"There's no one in there, ma'am, just an empty bed and an open window."  
  
"ANNIE!" suddenly Katie burst through the door with two men behind her.  
"Annie!!!"  
  
"Katrina!" Beatrice burst into tears. "Katrina, I don't know what  
happened! She just disappeared and—and—and—" Katie couldn't move. She was  
too late. She turned towards Jack as yet more tears welled up in her  
eyes.  
  
"Jack......... our baby." 


	21. Chapter XXI

Chapter Twenty-One  
  
"Alright, men, move out," after about twenty minutes of tears and further  
confusion, Gillette instructed his men out of the house. Fred and Bea  
stood by the fireplace, his hands on her shoulders. He was a tall, skinny  
man with a balding head and she was a shorter, plumper woman with more  
thick curls than anyone knew what to do with.  
  
"We'll find them, ma'am," Gillette said gently before leaving the house.  
Will stood at the base of the stairs, leaning against the banister. He  
nodded to the Commodore in appreciation, already confident that he was a  
better decision than Norrington. Katie and Jack sat on the couch, Jack  
rocking her back and forth as she sobbed into his shoulder.  
  
Katie pulled back and wiped her eyes, leaning back on the couch.  
  
"I never imagine Norrington as being the kind of man who could sneak in  
and out of a house undetected," Will spoke up, breaking the silence. "He  
always struck me as sort of a, a—"  
  
"Doof?" Jack suggested.  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"He may be a doof," Bea said, sniffling back a tear. "But he's a smart  
doof."  
  
"Not to mention a psychotic and homicidal doof," Fred added. Katie rose  
from the couch and stared out the window. The house was pointed towards  
the cliff's at an old, abandoned and rickety windmill.  
  
"Right then." Jack cracked his knuckles and stood up. "If I was a doofy,  
psychotic homicidal ex-commodore with a silly toupee and a kid that's not  
mine, where would I go?"  
  
"The mill," Katie rose her head slowly. "Jack, the mill! It makes sense,  
doesn't it? It's one of the only places on the island that's completely  
abandoned and the only place where no one is likely to look for him! I  
mean, if I were him, that's where I'd go!"  
  
"Element of surprise," Will nodded his head in agreement.  
  
"Let's go," Jack said, starting towards the door.  
  
"Aunt Bea, Uncle Fred—"  
  
"I know, dearie, we'll stay hear in case anything else should happen,"  
Fred said, pecking her cheek before she ran off after Jack and Will.  
  
Once out on the street, they ran into Gibbs, Annamaria, and to Katie's  
surprise, Mary and Sarah. But questions weren't asked as Jack quickly  
explained what was going on, for they knew they didn't have more time.  
Jack sent the others to go get Gillette while he, Katie and Will  
continued up the hill towards the Old Mill.  
  
--- --- --- ---  
  
"You wait 'till my daddy gets through with you!" Annie spat bitterly as  
Norrington persisted to tie her arms and feet to a chair.  
  
"Your daddy is not coming for you anytime soon," Norrington growled.  
  
"I think you're crazy, mister," Annie said. After all, her mother had  
always taught her to be honest.  
  
"I think you're a spoiled brat who needs to be taught a lesson,"  
Norrington growled. He slowly rose onto his feet and pulled his hand  
back, ready to slap the little brat across the face. Annie squeezed her  
eyes shut and pulled her head back, expecting the worst when out of no  
where, a hand clamped down on Norrington's wrist.  
  
"Not nice, mate," Annie gasped and burst into a grin to see the man she  
only knew as Will, a friend of her father's, standing behind him.  
  
"Will!" she chimed. Will flashed her a grin before turning back to  
Norrington.  
  
"Now, you know WHY you got fired right? I mean, I'm really thinking this  
is a problem here, James," Will told him.  
  
"How did you—never mind!" Norrington barked, hauling back and punching  
Will in the jaw. Will went flying to the ground into the shadows, out of  
Annie's sight.  
  
"You're not a nice man!" Annie shouted at Norrington, who just cackled at  
her.  
  
"I agree," the moonlight outside illuminated Katie's figure leaning in  
the doorway. "First you my husband away from me and his daughter, then  
you try to get away with kidnapping me and then Annie? A sweet innocent  
little girl? I would say that doesn't qualify you for the Person of the  
Year award."  
  
"Shut up!" Norrington roared. He'd obviously gone off the deep end. There  
was a loud boom as thunder rolled ominously through the clouds, and  
suddenly the skies opened up, lightning and rain making the night even  
more perfect.  
  
A flash of lightning illuminated the small, round bottom section of the  
mill. Katie's eyes shot upwards at Jack, who was balancing himself on a  
beam above Norrington's head, unbeknownst to Norrington. Katie stepped to  
the side so Jack could have clearance, and without further adieu, he came  
swinging down, his feet colliding into Norrington's back and sending him  
straight through the doorway and onto the grass outside.  
  
Jack landed on the ground. "Get her untied," he simply instructed before  
starting to go outside after Norrington, who was trying to get onto his  
own feet again. He threw himself into Norrington's side, sending him onto  
the ground again. Jack rolled over so he was on top and began punching  
him as hard as he could in the face. But Norrington was equally strong  
and more than ready for him. He growled angrily and kicked Jack off with  
such force, Jack lay on the ground in pain, clutching his stomach.  
  
"You disgust me," Norrington grumbled as he pulled his gun off his belt,  
aiming it at Jack. He rose the gun up and Jack's eyes widened, knowing he  
couldn't get up because of the pain.  
  
Katie went as fast as she could, getting one hand untied and then going  
for the next. She looked up just in time to see Norrington's silhouette  
aim his gun at Jack's body on the ground. "No......... JACK!" it was too late,  
Norrington fired sending the loud sound of a shot through the air.  
  
--- --- --- ---  
  
Will's eyes shot open as the piercing sound of a gunshot and Katie's  
scream rang out in the air. "Jack........." he rubbed his head and slowly sat  
up.  
  
Jack's eye slowly popped open. The bullet didn't hit him. The bullet  
didn't hit him??? He propped himself up on his shoulders and looked at  
the compass on his belt, a smoldering and smoking bullet imbedded in it.  
He stared at Norrington, a look that said YOU'RE AN IDIOT oh his face.  
  
"That's it??" Jack asked him. "Yer aim is bloody horrible, mate, I should  
teach ye a thing or to about gunmanship."  
  
"UHG!" Norrington breathed out helplessly, fumbling for another bullet  
for his gun.  
  
"YOU!" both men looked up to see Katie walking towards them, fists  
clenched. Annie stood in the doorway of the mill, Will standing beside  
her, a look of dizzy pain on his face. The rain continued to beat down,  
soaking her like Jack and Norrington. She walked right up to Norrington,  
her eyes narrowed into tiny slits. "You sir......... ARE AN ASS!"  
  
With that, she rose her knee up in one quick motion and thrust it into  
Norrington's groin. He moaned and made a girly whimper before falling to  
the ground in unbelievable pain. The pain took him over and he passed  
out. Jack winced and looked away.  
  
"Don't know why I didn't do that sooner," she said, brushing her hands  
together as if dusting them off. She turned around as she felt Jack's  
hand on her shoulder. He still clutched his ribs in pain and Katie  
wondered if he had broken one.  
  
"I don't care how much ye hate a man, luv, that's not right," he wrinkled  
his nose. Katie grinned and threw her arms around him. "Ouch............luv, my  
side............"  
  
"Ooh! Jack, I'm sorry!" she softly kissed his lips, her hand delicately  
on the back of his neck. "Is that better?"  
  
"Oh yes," he split into a grin. "Much better." 


	22. Chapter XXII

Chapter Twenty-Two  
  
Annie Pearl Sparrow, 17 years old with her mother's nose and father's  
eyes, winced as her cabin door aboard the Black Pearl squeaked loudly.  
"SHHH!" she hissed angrily. "You'll wake them all up!" Her thick, black  
leather boots were gripped tightly in her hand.  
  
She turned around slowly, her eyes on the ground as she walked. She  
stopped however, gulping, when she saw the toe of her father's boot  
tapping on the floorboards of the Pearl's deck.  
  
"Um............"  
  
"Um?"  
  
"Um, hiya dad," she greeted as she flashed him a smile. The Pearl bobbed  
in the early morning waves of Port Royal harbor.  
  
"And you're going where this early in the morning?" he asked, his  
eyebrows arched suspiciously.  
  
"Uh—I was just gonna go see if Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Will were up  
yet!" she insisted, stomping her foot. "Come on, dad!"  
  
A grin curled up on her father's mouth. "Alright, get outta here," he  
unfolded he arms and stepped aside.  
  
"Thanks, daddy!" she beamed in delight and pecked him on the cheek as she  
tossed her boots into the small rowboat that was going to take her  
ashore. He watched her with a grin on his face as his hands gripped the  
railings of the Pearl.  
  
"Daddy!" he turned around as he heard his four year old son running up  
behind him, bare feet on the wooden deck.  
  
"Connor, put your shoes on, you're gonna get splinters!" he smiled  
affectionately as his wife appeared from below deck, a shoe in each,  
chasing after Connor.  
  
"Come here, kiddo," Jack scooped his son up in his arms. "Look, wave to  
Annie!"  
  
"HI ANNIE!" Connor waved his hand and shouted in his loudest voice,  
trying to get his admirable older sister to notice him.  
  
"Where is she going this early in the morning?" Katie asked, her eyebrows  
furrowed.  
  
"Oh, she's a teenager, all she wants is to be able to go and come as she  
pleases and there aint nothin' wrong with that," Jack said, poking Connor  
on the nose.  
  
"She takes after her father," Katie said flatly. "But that's a good  
thing," she added ad Jack wrapped his available arm around her waist. He  
kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes, unbelievably thankful he  
had everything he really wanted in life.  
  
"So, where IS she going?" Katie asked.  
  
"Oh, I imagine she's going to give the lovely Turners a lovely wakeup  
call." He smiled, unbeknownst to him that she was going to meet up with  
her friends to throw spitballs at Norrington as he withered away in  
prison.  
  
Though, even if he were to know about it..................  
  
..................he'd be damn proud of her.  
  
THE END 


End file.
